How Far We've Come
by AquaQuadrant
Summary: Just when you thought you knew what to expect, the Fates chose another string to cut.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: PLEASE READ! Okay, this is my first Heroes of Olympus fanfic, and it's based off of some incredible art by Viria. I strongly suggest you take a look at it after reading, but not before (spoilers for the story) This takes place somewhere in House of Hades, when Percy and Annabeth make it to the Doors of Death. Warning, rated T for character death. Reviews would be greatly appreciated! And now, without further ado, read on and enjoy!**

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Chapter One

**Annabeth's POV**

When I saw the Doors, my legs nearly gave out. The only thing keeping me standing was Percy, who had his right arm wrapped protectively around my waist. I leaned on him gently for support as the sudden dizziness subsided.

"Percy…" My voice came out as a sort of a croak. We hadn't had any fresh, clean water for what felt like years.

Percy didn't answer; he merely gave me a tired smile. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, but brimming with tears of relief.

It was impossible to keep track of time in Tartarus. I had no idea how long we'd been down there, but the results weren't pretty.

My ankle had gotten progressively worse from all the constant walking and fighting. My meager attempt at a cast had been ripped to shreds. Various scratches, burns, and puncture wounds marked my body. I also strongly suspected that a few of my ribs were fractured, if not broken. My hair was hopelessly tangled and caked with sweat, dirt, and dried blood. But as bad as I felt and looked, Percy was worse.

Percy's dark hair was matted with blood from a particularly nasty wound just above his temple, which was still bleeding freely. His shirt was ragged, with large gashes across the back where a sphinx had attacked him. I could still see the red angry lines that had been carved by the sphinx's claws. Percy's left arm was shattered near the midsection of his forearm, right where his tattoo was. His whole forearm was discolored from the swelling and the bruises. The useless limb hung limply by his side, loosely cradling Riptide, which was sheathed at the moment.

My left shirtsleeve was wound tightly around his right upper arm, serving as a makeshift bandage, but I could see the blood soaking through the worn fabric. So many cuts and bruises peppered his skin that he looked as though he'd run a marathon through brambles. I noticed a few gray hairs starting to emerge again from all the physical stress. I idly wondered if my hair was graying again as well.

Percy's normally bright eyes had a haunted look to them that greatly worried me. We had seen things that no mortal, or half-mortal, was ever meant to see…

Dark circles lined his eyes from lack of sleep. We didn't rest often, but when we did Percy always took the first watch, no matter how I protested. More often than not, a monster would ambush us before he got a chance to rest.

I also realized how malnourished Percy was. I wasn't faring well either, but he looked downright sickly. Whenever we managed to scrounge up a meal, Percy always gave me a larger portion, his excuse being that I needed more nutrients for my broken ankle. I turned his words against him when he broke his arm, actually getting him to eat full meals, but the increase in food obviously hadn't been enough to make a difference. All in all, I felt like a failure.

Stupid hero complex. It's going to be the death of him someday…

Percy and I slowly made our way towards the Doors of Death, each step becoming increasingly difficult. Dead, gnarled trees lined the path, reaching out towards us on either side. The Doors weren't what I had been expecting. I had imagined them as enormous, intricate masterpieces composed of precious metals. Instead, they were simple iron rectangles, only about two feet taller than Percy. The Doors were ajar, and I could see light filtering in from the other side.

As we approached the Doors, I heard Percy inhale sharply.

"Annabeth…" He breathed, staring through the open doorway. I followed his gaze and gasped. Standing on the other side were our friends.

They looked pretty beaten up from battling Gae's forces, but I could tell by the way they winced when they saw us that we looked much worse.

The light on the other side was nearly blinding compared to the darkness of Tartarus. It took my eyes a moment to adjust.

When they did, I realized that it was around late afternoon, and the sky was cloudy. Our friends greeted us with warm smiles, but I could see the concern in their eyes.

Percy embraced Nico tightly with his good arm.

"You did it." He whispered. "You brought them here. Thank you." Nico hugged him back, his eyes pricking with tears.

Suddenly everyone was hugging, laughing, and crying at the same time.

"I was so worried!" Piper cried with relief, squeezing me tightly. The pressure on my sore ribs made me bite back a cry of pain. "We were waiting here for a couple hours, and I wanted to go in and look for you, but Nico said it'd be better if we stayed put." She explained, releasing her hold on me.

Hearing this, I shot a grateful glance at Nico. He was the only one besides Percy and me that had seen the horrors of Tartarus. If one of the others had experienced what we went through, I never would have forgiven myself. I knew that what I had seen would haunt me for the rest of my life.

After a few minutes of tearful reunions, Jason stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"I hate to ruin the moment," The son of Jupiter interjected regretfully. "But it looks like the legion sent out scout eagles."

I looked skyward, spotting several of the large birds soaring towards the horizon.

"They'll alert the legion." Jason continued somberly. "We don't have much time."

The mood instantly darkened as we all realized what this meant. We had to close the Doors of Death before the legion arrived. And the Doors of Death had to be closed from the inside as well as out.

I took a shaky breath and glanced at Percy, who nodded tersely. Together, we stepped over the threshold back into Tartarus. I swallowed my rising panic as darkness claimed us once more. Percy gripped the handle on the right door as I clasped the handle of the left door.

"Wait!" Frank cried desperately. "There has to be another way!"

"You guys can't do this!" Hazel pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears.

Percy sighed heavily.

"I can't let anyone else suffer." He responded morosely. There was something off about his tone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him tense, and I knew what he was about to do.

Just as Percy tried to push me out of Tartarus and close the Doors himself, I sidestepped and grabbed his arm, twisting it. In my panic, I forgot that his arm was broken, and Percy cried out in pain, dropping to his knee. I quickly dropped his arm and took a step backwards, tears spilling from my eyes.

"You can't do this to me, Percy!" I whispered fiercely, gripping the door handle so hard my knuckles turned white.

Percy looked up at me, the fire in his eyes matching my own. And suddenly, the fight in him died, and Percy smiled sadly.

"You could always see right through me." He sighed quietly, more to himself than me.

"We're doing this together." I told him, my voice cracking. Percy nodded, swallowing hard. I helped him to his feet with my free hand.

"You're not getting away from me this time, Seaweed Brain…" I murmured softly. Percy gently brushed a strand of hair from my eyes.

"My Wise Girl…." He whispered breathlessly, his eyes full of sorrow.

I gazed at my friends, trying to memorize every detail of their faces. "Thanks, you guys… for everything…." I trailed off, knowing that if I said anything more I'd break down.

Jason and I locked eyes, and he nodded respectfully. Although he and I hadn't gotten along all the time, I knew in that moment that I would trust him, any of them, actually, with my life. And that was something that didn't come easily to me.

For most of my life, I had relied solely on myself. I had been hurt too many times to trust. But then Percy changed all that. He showed me a world I had thought impossible, and I was a better person because of it.

I looked to Percy, who had his hand on the Door handle again.

"Are you ready?" I asked, ignoring the fear threatening to overcome me.

Percy inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, all traces of fear were gone. The corner of his mouth tugged upwards in a half grin.

"On three." He affirmed, staring into my eyes.

"One." My voice was so faint I wondered if he could hear it.

"Two." My heart was racing.

"Three."

Just as I began to pull on the handle, I heard someone yell.

"CUT!"

Leo strode forward, his expression playfully upset.

"What are you guys doing?" The son of Hephaestus demanded. "It's not supposed to end like this!" Even though his tone was light, I could hear how serious he was underneath. It suddenly occurred to me how silent he had been during the reunion.

Percy and I exchanged confused looks.

"What do you mean?" I inquired incredulously.

Leo pretended to sigh exasperatedly. "You guys can't stay in Tartarus! I mean, come on! You!" Leo jabbed his finger at Percy, mocking anger.

"You are the glue that holds Greeks and Romans together! How are you supposed to be glue when you're stuck in Tartarus?" Leo implored.

Percy was at a loss for words, his eyes wide with surprise.

"And on top of that, you are not only a Praetor of New Rome, but basically the leader of Camp Halfblood! You can't leave your responsibilities, or your mother!" Leo ranted.

"And you!" He continued, pointing at me. "You also have a family that loves you! You're not supposed to sacrifice yourself, the stakes are too high! Camp Halfblood would fall without you two!" He exclaimed dramatically.

Percy and I stared at him.

Leo groaned, smacking his hand to his forehead.

"Fine! Let me show you what's_ really_ supposed to happen." Leo grumbled, stalking through the doorway. The mechanic gently shoved me and Percy through the doorway, back outside.

"See?" Leo scolded us, placing a hand on each door. "The handsome and awesome Leo Valdez is supposed to nobly sacrifice himself and heroically save the world! Makes for a better story, see?"

It suddenly dawned on me what Leo wanted to do. My hands flew to my mouth as my throat closed up.

"I won't let you." Percy said immediately, taking half a step forward. Leo raised an eyebrow, not at all fazed.

"Dude, you look like you had a wrestling match in a wood chipper. Do you really think you could beat me right now?" Leo chastised him. I had to admit, he had a point.

"Leo..." Percy began, but Leo interrupted.

"Ah ah ah, don't complain! This is how it's supposed to be." Leo's gaze softened. "To storm or fire, the world must fall." He recited.

Leo held up his hand and summoned a flame.

"Fire, dude." He grinned.

I couldn't help it. I started crying. I heard Piper and Hazel do the same behind me.

Leo extinguished the flame, his smile faltering.

"Guys…" He pleaded. "This is the only solution that makes sense. See, I don't have a family. I'm not leaving anyone behind."

Frank shook his head.

"That's not true." He protested. "We're your family."

Leo swallowed.

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that. More than you know." The mechanic responded, smiling half-heartedly. Leo ran a hand through his curly hair.

"Hey, Frank? Could... could you take care of Festus for me?" Leo asked hesitantly. "Change into a dragon and tell him? I mean, I know he's a machine and all, but I'm pretty sure he can understand other dragons…"

The son of Mars nodded solemnly. Leo's mood brightened significantly and he glanced at Hazel.

"Um, Hazel?" Leo asked. "Could you track down Echo for me and tell her that… I remember her?"

Hazel managed to nod, returning his smile.

"I will." She promised, her voice barely above a whisper.

Leo turned to Jason.

"Yo, Jason. Lord of the Universe." Leo addressed him jokingly. Jason met his eyes expectantly. "Rock on, dude. You've got an empire to lead." Leo told him seriously. Jason cracked a smile, his eyes filled with tears.

Next, Leo faced Piper.

"So, what's my title now? Admiral, captain, or what?" He inquired teasingly.

Piper bit her lip.

"Hero." She responded sincerely.

Leo blinked; he obviously hadn't expected that answer. The son of Hephaestus rubbed the back of his neck, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Aw, Jeeze, you're making me blush." He laughed lightly before focusing his attention on Percy and me.

"Percy, Annabeth… I know you guys, and I want to tell you don't blame yourselves." He told us intently. "This is my decision, and my decision alone. Got it?" Leo asked us, pretending to be stern.

I nodded as I cried even harder. Percy pulled me closer to him, his right arm draped around my shoulders.

"You got it, dude." Percy replied shakily as silent tears ran down his face.

Leo stared at us gratefully. "Well!" He said, clapping his hands together suddenly. "Time to get this show on the road. I'll need a volunteer from the audience! Percy?" Leo's eyes wandered to Percy's broken arm. "Eh, never mind-"

"No," Percy said, grabbing the left Door handle with his injured hand. "It's fine. I'll do it." His gaze was determined. Leo stared at him for a moment before smiling.

"Frank?" He prompted. Frank gripped the right Door, and I noticed his hands were shaking.

Leo pressed both hands up against the Doors on his side.

"This is Leo Valdez, signing off. Forever yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace off!" The left corner of Leo's mouth turned up in a grin, his eyes bright.

Frank and Percy both pulled on their handles, and the Doors of Death slid shut with a thud.

* * *

**Leo's POV**

As soon as the Doors shut, my smile faded.

I slid to the ground, breathing heavily. I cradled my head in my hands as my eyes overflowed with tears.

After a couple moments, I pressed my ear against the Doors of Death, just to see if I could hear my friends on the other side. No such luck. Apparently, the Doors of Death are soundproof. Go figure.

I leaned against the heavy Doors, exhaling slowly. I did it. I really did it. I, Leo Valdez, practically saved the world. A laugh escaped me. Who would have guessed it? I suppose I can't take all the credit. After all, Percy and Annabeth were the ones who actually traveled through this place to get here. That's partly why it wasn't fair for them to have to stay here. They'd already done their time. Now, it was my turn.

Several minutes later, I stood up slowly. My legs were shaking like jelly. I realized I couldn't see anything through the darkness and absently wondered if my eyes would ever adjust, or if I'd live long enough to give them a chance. I raised my right palm, summoned a small flame, and took a look at my new surroundings.

The ground was made out of some sort of depressing black rock like material, and so were the walls, which reached upward endlessly. In the distance I could see a river that was flowing with lava. How nice.

After a couple steps, I decided against walking, since my body was threatening to shut down. I plopped down where I was standing and just focused on breathing.

I don't know how long I sat there breathing. But when I finally opened my eyes again, I did not like what I saw.

An immense shadow was slowly making its way towards me. It was bigger than a London bus and I could make out multiple heads snaking around each other. A hydra.

I stood up quickly, stumbling backwards. My free hand slipped into my tool belt and pulled out the heaviest hammer it could carry, which looked pathetic compared to the monster I was up against. I really should have learned how to use a sword. Things were not looking good for Captain Tool Belt.

My eyes darted around the chasm, searching for an escape route. My heart sank as I realized that the hydra was blocking my way out. Even if I could avoid the hydra, where would I run? Deeper into Tartarus, towards more monsters eager to rip my face off?

I backed up, gripping my hammer in one hand and holding fire in the other. As the monster approached me, I willed the flame to grow in intensity before firing.

Bad move. The flame lit up the cavern and revealed the monster's face, or... faces… and what I saw made my stomach turn.

Each of the hydra's heads was as large as my entire body and covered with dull red scales. Their eyes were reptilian, but they were bulging grotesquely, probably from the lack of light. Its faces were sunken in and its skin was stretched tightly, with every bone showing. Needle-sharp yellow teeth hung out of its mouths haphazardly, like a crocodile's.

The heads, not at all fazed by the fire, drew closer to me, snapping their jaws. The stench of death reached my nose, and I gagged. The center head (there were nine in total) opened its mouth and released its own column of fire.

The flames washed over me harmlessly. The hydra and I stared at each other. One of the heads hovered in front of me. Its nostrils flared as it took in my scent, and my flame wavered.

"I don't suppose you're a vegetarian?" I said hopefully. I winced inwardly; those were terrible last words…

The hydra opened its jaws and roared, pressing me against the wall.

My fire went out.

I guess I'm lucky the Doors of Death are soundproof.

The others never heard my screams.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello again! I know it's early, but I couldn't help myself! Inspiration is pretty hard to come by these days. In other news, I have written an alternate ending to chapter one, where Leo lives (yay!) Oh, and just a heads up, Reyna has no idea what happened yet. ****Thanks to the awesome people who left reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or any of the characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Two! :) - Aqua.**

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Chapter Two

**Annabeth's POV**

The world seemed to slow down as the Doors shut.

Hazel started sobbing again, burying her face in Frank's shoulder. The son of Mars released his hold on the Door and held Hazel tightly, tears flowing freely from his own eyes.

"Shh… it's okay..." He murmured comfortingly.

Hazel began to cry even harder, her whole body shaking.

"No, it's not! I-It's not o-okay! I c-can't remember w-who Echo is!" She cried, clutching the fabric of Frank's purple shirt. "I p-promised him I'd f-find her…"

I watched numbly, my mind oddly blank. I felt Percy lead me towards some rust colored rocks that were surrounding the Doors in a sort of open horseshoe. I sat down to Percy's left. Instant relief flooded my exhausted muscles, but all I could do was stare at the ground.

Percy reached over with his right hand and gently tilted my face upwards, so that I was looking directly at him.

His eyes looked as hollow as I felt.

During our entire trek through Tartarus, we had both know that we weren't going to survive. I may not have thought about it much, but somewhere in my subconscious I had realized that closing the Doors meant staying in Tartarus forever. And somehow, I had made peace with that. It didn't make the whole ordeal less terrifying, but every step closer to the Doors had meant a step closer towards my death, and I had been okay with it.

But this… I hadn't prepared myself for this. Percy and I had both been willing to die if it meant closing the Doors. We had never expected that we would survive, and that Leo would take our place.

And it all happened so _quickly. _One second I was saying my goodbyes, and the next I was listening to someone else's.

I closed my eyes and leaned into Percy, my breathing shallow.

We weren't prepared for this.

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**Reyna's POV**

The eagles returned fairly quickly, bearing good news.

Or bad news, depending on how you looked at it.

The six half-bloods were at the Doors of Death. They didn't appear to know we were coming.

Octavian's eyes flashed triumphantly.

"We've got them now!" The legacy of Apollo exclaimed excitedly. "There's nowhere for them to run."

The Doors of Death were set into a mountain that curved outward slightly, meaning that if we spread our forces into a semicircle, there'd be no way for them to escape.

My metallic hounds, Aurum and Argentium, circled me anxiously. They could sense an impending battle.

I turned to the assembled legionaries. The Second Cohort was the only one here, but it was one of the largest cohorts, and one of the most skilled. All the other cohorts were engaging Camp Halfblood. I knew the Second Cohort would be missed dearly at the battle, but I also knew to not underestimate our opponents.

"The eagles have spotted them at the Doors. We do this efficiently, and quietly. If we're smart, we may avoid spilling blood today. No one has clearance to use deadly force, unless it's in favor of self-preservation. Got it?" I asked sternly, my eyes scanning the sea of faces. Some of the faces were eager, others concerned, or determined.

We had been tracking Nico di Angelo, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, and Leo Valdez for weeks. Everyone was anxious to finally capture the dangerous demigods.

The walk to the mountain lasted only a few minutes, but every step took effort. I really did not want to do this.

Several days ago, when we had last encountered the half-bloods, we had learned that Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus while attempting to recover the Athena Parthenos, a powerful, ancient statue lost eons ago.

This news was both shocking and upsetting for me. I had gotten to know Percy fairly well, and he certainly didn't deserve to die like that. If he was dead, anyways. According to the demigods, Percy and Annabeth were traveling through Tartarus to close the Doors from the inside.

I highly doubted they were still alive.

As we approached the mountain, I instructed the troops to halt.

"I'm going to check it out. Stay here." I ordered Octavian.

"No way!" Octavian retorted indignantly. "I'm coming with you." The augur stuck his chin out defiantly. I resisted the urge to punch him in the jaw and grit my teeth instead.

"Fine." I huffed. "Just stay quiet."

I turned back to the Second Cohort and signaled that I was going to scope out the scene before making my way up the gentle incline. Octavian walked beside me quietly, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

When Octavian and I finally neared the demigods, the scene was not at all what I expected.

The first thing that caught my eye was Jason and Piper. They were standing in the center of the small alcove that had been carved into the mountain. Piper had her arms wrapped around herself, her head bowed so I couldn't see her face. I had to fight down the twinge of jealousy that emerged when I saw that Jason had his arms around her as she leaned into him.

Even though he was facing me, with his back to the Doors of Death, Jason's eyes were closed and he did not look up at me, even though he must have heard me approach.

Frank and Hazel were standing a little ways to the right of Jason and Piper. Hazel had her face buried in Frank's shoulder, and I suddenly realized she was crying. The son of Mars was gently stroking her hair, tears streaming down his face.

The sight of my former legionnaires in such distress greatly worried me.

Nico di Angelo was sitting on some rocks next to Frank and Hazel, cradling his head in his hands, his fingers tearing at his dark hair.

Octavian nudged me suddenly, and with a jolt I realized there were two more figures to the left.

My surprise turned into disbelief as I further studied the people.

It was Percy and Annabeth!

Even though their backs were turned to me, I could tell it was them. From what I could see, they were injured. Percy's left arm was draped loosely over Annabeth's shoulders, and I winced when I saw the bruising and swelling. His arm was definitely broken.

Several long gashes marked his back, which were visible through his worn orange shirt. Both he and Annabeth's shoulders and backs were in a horrible state. I could only image what other wounds they possessed.

Before I could do anything, Octavian strode forward confidently, opening his mouth to speak.

Suddenly, Percy whirled around and had his sword tip hovering inches beneath Octavian's chin.

As amusing as Octavian's expression of sheer terror was, I drew my own weapon to defend him. However, I quickly realized violence wouldn't be necessary as Percy's eyes widened in recognition. The son of Poseidon dropped his arm and stepped out of the defensive stance he'd shifted into.

"Oh, it's you." Percy mumbled, glancing away.

The other assembled demigods were watching now, but not one of them had moved.

Looking at the group of dejected half-bloods, I realized how beaten they were, physically speaking. Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Nico were all scratched and bruised, each with several large gashes and torn clothing. Frank had a black eye, and Piper's left forearm was bandaged. Hazel was favoring her right leg, meaning her left was probably sprained in some way.

But Percy and Annabeth were by far the worst. They were so torn up that there was hardly any healthy skin showing beneath all the cuts and bruises. Aside from the large wounds in his back, Percy was also bleeding from a gash above his forehead.

Octavian took in Percy and Annabeth's appearances, smirking.

"Wow, you two look like you've been to Tartarus and back."

Faster than I could react, Percy was right in Octavian's face, the flat of his blade pressed against the augur's windpipe.

"That's because we have." Percy snarled, his sea-green eyes narrowed dangerously.

I wanted to intervene, but Percy was only one step away from decapitating Octavian.

"Percy." Annabeth spoke, her voice tight.

The son of Poseidon turned to look at her, his shoulders slumping. Percy backed away from Octavian, his anger suddenly vanishing. He stood by Annabeth, still gripping his bronze sword.

"Do you think this is a game?" Percy questioned Octavian, his voice low.

I heard the Second Cohort approach cautiously behind me. Taking notice of his new audience, Octavian quickly recovered from his shock, though he was considerably paler.

"What's the matter?" He taunted, avoiding the question. "Have you guys finally given up?"

I shot Octavian a look that said _shut up. _For once, the augur obeyed.

The tension in the air was unbearable. Nico looked up at Percy, his expression questioning. Hazel had recovered herself and was now standing quietly next to Frank, her fingers interlaced with his.

Jason gazed at me steadily, his head tilted slightly. I avoided his eyes and instead focused on Percy.

"How did you two survive?" I asked wonderingly.

Percy studied me for a moment, and the look in his eyes sent chills down my spine. This was not the laid back, bright, sarcastic Percy I had come to know. The son of Poseidon looked like a completely different person.

Then Percy did something unexpected. He threw back his head and laughed.

It was a sharp, bitter, off-key sort of laugh that unnerved me. I could feel unease sweep through the troops behind me. A couple of legionnaires discreetly drew their weapons.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth cast a worried look at Percy.

When he was silent again, Percy fixed his gaze on me and _smiled._

"You don't know how many times I've asked myself the same question." He answered finally.

Octavian and I exchanged glances.

"Octavian." Percy suddenly addressed the augur, glaring. "You're smart enough to count, right? Why don't you take a look at this scene and tell me who's missing?"

Octavian looked indignant, but his eyes swept the small clearing nevertheless. I was counting the demigods as well when it suddenly hit me.

"Leo… Leo Valdez. Where is he?" I asked, looking around as if he might be hiding. At the mention of his name, Hazel burst out crying again.

Jason stared at the ground, his expression unreadable. Piper turned her face away as her shoulders began shaking. I saw Nico glance at the Doors of Death, and my eyes widened with realization.

"He's not… in_ there,_ is he?"

Percy's expression was all the answer I needed. My stomach turned to ice. I turned to look at Octavian and saw he was as shocked as I was.

"It should have been me." Percy said miserably, confirming our suspicions.

Annabeth stood up beside him, her gray eyes troubled.

"Percy…" She began haltingly. "Leo told you not to blame yourself."

"Oh, of _course_ he did!" Percy scowled, upset. "Didn't you see how scared he was? He hid behind his jokes and that crooked smile of his and told us it was okay, but it's not!" He ran a hand through his hair, his face streaked with tears and blood. "I should have stopped him…"

Annabeth touched him gently on the shoulder.

"You couldn't have if you tried." She said softly. I suddenly realized that Percy was actually struggling to stand, swaying slightly. It hit me how weak he and Annabeth must be from traveling through Tartarus.

Percy took a few breaths to calm himself. When he finally faced me again, he looked utterly defeated.

"So, what now? Are you going to capture us? Because I'm fine with that, as long as you've got a medic." Percy told me seriously. "You do have a medic right? Because Annabeth's really hurt…." He trailed off, looking at Annabeth in concern.

The daughter of Athena lightly punched his arm, her eyes full of affection.

"Stop it, Percy; you're worse off than me." She stated matter-of-factly. "What, with all your crazy notions about protecting me…"

Percy looked insulted. "Who, me? Nah, I'll be fine… I just need some water…" He trailed off longingly, his voice hoarse. I was suddenly aware how difficult it must have been for a son of Poseidon to go so long without access to fresh water.

Percy blinked suddenly, as if a thought had occurred to him.

"Wait a moment, what are we in trouble for, anyways?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Octavian rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Your ship opened fire on New Rome!" He exclaimed, pointing his finger at Percy accusingly.

Percy gave Octavian a perplexed look.

"Eidolons…" The Greek murmured incredulously. "Eidolons!" He repeated, more forcefully. "Possessing spirits, ever heard of them? _They_ possessed Leo and forced him to fire on your home!" Percy glared challengingly at Octavian, daring him to say anything negative about Leo.

Thankfully, Octavian was silent.

"Reyna." Percy addressed me, still staring defiantly at the Roman augur. "If I was lying, I'd be dog kibble right about now."

Shocked, I looked down at Aurum and Argentium. My metal, _lie-detecting _hounds were standing calmly by my side, waiting for my next command. If Percy was lying, they would have at least growled at him by now.

"He's telling the truth." I said slowly.

Octavian's face flushed.

"What about the battle at Fort Sumter then, huh?" He demanded, determined to find Percy guilty of something.

The son of the Sea God raised his hands defensively. "We were just protecting ourselves. Annabeth had to follow the Mark of Athena. We couldn't afford to get captured." Percy explained sincerely.

Deep in my gut, I knew he was right. And the fact that my dogs weren't tearing him to pieces also helped confirm his story.

"Octavian, we can't execute them." I said. "They didn't do anything wrong."

I could feel the uncertainty of my troops. They all knew that what Percy was saying was true, but they weren't all convinced that we should just leave the demigods be, now that we'd finally cornered them.

Octavian crossed his arms.

"Well, we should at least take them into custody." He huffed. "They're dangerous, _and_ if we let them go, they might compromise our efforts at Camp Halfblood."

I wanted to smack Octavian, but it was too late. The words had already been said.

Percy's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Is that where the rest of your legion is now? At Camp Halfblood?" He demanded.

Nobody answered. Octavian's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

Piper and Jason exchanged concerned looks. Annabeth exhaled slowly, grabbing Percy's arm for support. Frank shifted his weight anxiously as Hazel drew closer to him, biting her lower lip.

Nico di Angelo stood suddenly, staring at me with a hard look in his eyes.

"Well, isn't this a mess?" He asked coldly, his gaze sweeping across the Second Cohort. "How sad is it that we can't work together even with the entire _world_ at stake?"

His words stung me, mostly because I knew they were true.

"When the Greeks extended a hand of friendship, you retaliated with distrust." Nico continued, his voice rising steadily. "When the ship was fired, did you question the motives behind the supposed attack?" The son of Hades demanded.

"No! You assumed they were declaring war because that was what you _expected _them to do from the start!" Nico was almost yelling now.

"Did you listen to them when they tried to explain what had happened? No! You didn't! You went after them with a craving for blood that would not be satisfied!"

The half-blood's words made me wince. I glanced back at the Second Cohort and saw many of them wore expressions similar to mine.

"Well, guess what?" Nico asked angrily. "Now, blood has been spilled! My blood, and Frank's blood, and Hazel's blood, and Piper's blood, and Jason's blood, and Percy and Annabeth's blood!" Nico pointed to each demigod in turn as he spoke.

"And now, Leo Valdez is dead! He died for you!" Nico was crying now. "They," He gestured to Percy and Annabeth. "They traveled through _Tartarus_ for you. And what did you do in return?" The black-haired teen glared at us expectantly.

"Oh, I suppose we can't execute them. After all, they _are_ innocent." I flinched as Nico threw my own words back in my face.

"They could have told you that from the very beginning. But you never gave them a chance." Nico said quietly, shaking his head.

Silence fell over the mountain.

The mood had shifted dramatically. Looking back at the legion, I no longer saw eagerness for battle. I saw guilt, sorrow, regret, and despair. More than a few of them had tears in their eyes as the severity of the situation gripped them.

Nico di Angelo gave the legion one last disgusted look.

"Well, this has been great and all, but if you don't mind, I've got to see my father about the soul of a son of Hephaestus." Nico said coolly. "Anyone got a problem with that?" The son of Hades glared at the legion, daring anyone to challenge him.

Nobody did.

Even Octavian seemed taken aback.

Nico nodded tersely and glanced at Percy.

"Catch you later?"

I suddenly realized Nico was asking if it was alright. Nico di Angelo, the son of the Lord of the Underworld, and the demigod who just faced down an entire Roman Cohort, was asking Percy for permission.

The son of Poseidon smiled, clapping his hand on Nico's shoulder.

"Definitely." He replied warmly.

Nico returned his grin and stepped backwards into a shadow projected by a rock.

The temperature dropped a few degrees as the son of Hades literally vanished. A few of the newer legionnaires gasped in surprise, unfamiliar with Shadow Travel.

The silence was broken by Percy, whose expression had turned cold again.

"So…" He started, narrowing his eyes at Octavian and me.

"What's this I hear about Camp Halfblood?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here we are with chapter three! I'm going to apologize in advance for the layout. The paragraphs get all messed up when I send chapters from my documents to the doc manager. This is a short one, unfortunately. I'll be away for the weekend, so I can't promise when the next update will be. Hopefully soon. Thanks again to those who left reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or their characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Three! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Three

**Annabeth's POV**

The burning intensity in Percy's eyes frightened me.

Neither Reyna nor Octavian spoke. The Roman augur was in over his head, and he knew it. Reyna was tense. Even though she claimed she believed us, I could tell she was reluctant to let us go. It would undermine her authority, and she couldn't afford to lose control of her legion to Octavian.

Percy glared evenly at the two Romans.

"I said, what's this I hear about Camp Halfblood?" He repeated.

Octavian finally found his voice.

"Yes, okay! The other Cohorts are there. But it's not like there's anything you can do about it." He sneered. Percy tilted his head at the augur.

"People are dying, aren't they?"

The question hung in the air heavily. Reyna looked like she had been backed into a corner. Apparently, the silence was enough answer for Percy, who shook his head in disbelief.

"Do you still plan on capturing us?" Percy asked after a moment. I glanced up at him, wondering what he was up to.

Reyna nodded, though she looked regretful.

"No one has to die." She told Percy calmly, trying to regain control of the situation. "Just drop your weapon and we can do this peacefully." The Praetor turned to me. "We're not going to hurt you." She was pleading with her eyes, telling me to trust her and finish this.

I looked at Percy.

"Do you have a plan?" I murmured quietly in his ear.

"Working on it." He whispered back. "I have to save the Camp."

My heart sank when he said I, but I nodded, trusting him. He had saved my life countless times. I knew he would never do anything to hurt me.

Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel were all watching us questioningly. Percy locked eyes with Jason, and understanding flashed between them. Jason nudged Frank, who looked up in surprise. The son of Mars raised his eyebrows as realization dawned on him. He nodded firmly at Percy, who smiled half-heartedly in return.

Reyna was completely lost. She looked from Percy, to Jason, to me, to Percy, to Frank, and back to Percy.

"Well, Annabeth." Percy sighed. "This is it, then."

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat.

"I guess so." I said quietly, suddenly understanding Percy's plan. The son of Poseidon closed his eyes.

"So how about that medic, huh?" Percy inquired, his eyes still shut. "Annabeth's hurt."

I touched his shoulder gently, touched by his concern.

"Hazel's hurt too." Frank said suddenly, glancing at Hazel's left foot. I realized she wasn't putting any weight on it.

The daughter of Pluto was about to protest when Jason caught her eye. Something in his look made her close her mouth and nod.

"I sprained it." She said lamely, shrugging her shoulders.

"Everyone else can walk, though." Jason noted helpfully. "Except Annabeth, of course."

Of course.

Jason squeezed Piper's hand. The daughter of Aphrodite took a deep breath before shaking her head ever so slightly.

The son of Jupiter frowned and he inclined his head slightly towards Reyna, his blue eyes troubled. Piper shook her head again, her other hand idly tapping the handle of her dagger. She set her jaw stubbornly.

Jason held her stare for a moment before relenting. The former Praetor glanced at me. I nodded.

Reyna cleared her throat, obviously still confused.

"Yes, we have a medic. But I'm going to ask you again to please drop your weapons." The Praetor said firmly. She suspected something.

Percy still had his eyes closed.

I took the initiative and drew my bronze knife slowly. I held it out in front of me and let it fall to the ground.

Hazel took a shaky breath, turning to Frank again. The son of Mars nodded reassurance. Hazel unsheathed her own weapon; a cavalry sword. The Imperial Gold spatha clattered to the ground.

Reyna turned expectantly to Percy.

"Percy, your sword?" She prompted.

All of a sudden, I heard flapping wings. Percy smiled.

"Actually," He said, finally opening his eyes. "I'm going to be needing my sword."

Shouts of surprise rose from the legion as a black figure descended upon the mountain. In a gust of wind and feathers, Blackjack the pegasus landed next to Percy, pawing the ground anxiously.

Without warning, Jason shot into the air, holding Piper tightly. The son of Jupiter used the winds to propel them away from the mountain.

There were more cries as a few legionnaires tried to shoot them down, with no luck, thankfully.

As Percy hopped onto Blackjack, Frank began to shrink, sprouting tawny feathers. He sped off as a falcon, closely following the retreating figures of Jason and Piper.

A few Romans rushed Percy and Blackjack, but the black pegasus reared back, his kicking legs deterring any further advances. I had to take a few steps backwards to avoid Blackjack's beating wings.

Percy turned to look at me.

"I'm sorry." He told me.

"I know." I smiled.

Percy glanced at Hazel.

"Take care of Annabeth for me!" He called. Hazel nodded, her face determined. With that, Blackjack leapt into the air and took off, taking Percy with him.

When the dust finally settled, Hazel and I stood alone in front of the shocked Romans. Octavian's eyes were nearly popping out of his head.

I waved shyly.

"So," I winced, my head pounding.

"How about that medic?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello again! Here's the fourth chapter. I rather like how this one turned out, and I hope you're not disappointed. I just wanna let you know that there are OC's in this, but they don't play major roles and they most certainly ARE NOT romantic interests for anyone. They're just to help the story along. ****Thanks to the readers who left reviews! You guys are super-mega-awesome-cool!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or any of the characters (aside from a smattering of OC's).**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Four! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Four

**Percy's POV**

I'm not gonna lie; leaving Annabeth was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I glanced back at the mountain, my chest uncomfortably tight.

_'You okay, boss?' _Blackjack asked me worriedly.

I wiped my nose on my shirt sleeve, turning away from the mountain.

"I'm fine." I answered thickly, feeling the exact opposite of fine.

Reyna had assured me she wasn't going to kill us, but I couldn't help but worry about Annabeth. Still, leaving her was the only option. I had to protect the camp, and Annabeth was too injured to fight.

What, me? I'll be fine once I find some water. Don't worry.

Blackjack quickly caught up to Jason, Piper, and Frank.

"What's the plan?" Jason called over the wind.

No idea.

"Um, find Camp Halfblood and stop it from burning to the ground?" I offered.

Brilliant.

Jason nodded, looking determined. Piper tilted her head so that she could face me without losing her hold on Jason.

"Are Annabeth and Hazel going to be okay?" The daughter of Aphrodite questioned me, her eyes full of concern.

I glanced away, wondering the same thing.

"Gods, I hope so..."

* * *

**Annabeth's POV**

The first thing the Romans did was tie us up.

Hazel and I sat beside each other quietly, our hands bound behind our backs, as Reyna and Octavian 'strategized'.

"How could you have been so stupid?!" Reyna fumed. "They probably would have surrendered if you hadn't mentioned the invasion!"

Before Octavian could respond, I interrupted.

"Yeah, thanks for that. With everything else going on, it totally slipped my mind!" I said sincerely, giving the augur a coy smile.

Octavian's normally pasty face went red with anger.

"Watch it!" He hissed. "You forget, _you're_ the prisoner here. I will not have prisoners talking back to me, and I will not hesitate to put you back in your place." The Roman threatened.

"Hey!" Hazel jumped to my defense. "You can't talk to her like that!"

Octavian sneered at her.

"Oh, really?" He demanded. "Would you rather me talk to _you_ like that?" The augur challenged, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Hazel returned his glare definitely.

"Try it. See what happens." She spat.

"Why, you little-!"

"Enough!"

Reyna pushed between the two. "Octavian, your mouth has gotten us into enough trouble today." She scolded him.

"And you two," Reyna turned to Hazel and me. "If you don't stop picking fights, I will have you gagged. Understand?"

Hazel and I exchanged quick glances before nodding. Reyna seemed to be on her last nerve. It was probably better just to let everyone calm down.

Octavian crossed his arms, shooting us a dirty look. Hazel promptly returned his death glare, but held her tongue.

Reyna nodded, satisfied, before turning to the Second Cohort.

"We need to alert the other Cohorts immediately." The Praetor said. She pointed to a random legionnaire. "You! Send a message by eagle. It's the best we can do now." Reyna ordered.

The Roman scurried off to follow her command.

"Vincent," Reyna addressed a lanky blonde teenager. "You'd better tend to these two." She said, jabbing her finger at me and Hazel. "We've got a lot of ground to cover, and they won't make it in their current state."

The Roman bowed his head respectfully and hurried over to us. His eyes met mine for a moment before he glanced down and began murmuring quietly. My broken ankle tingled as the healing magic spread throughout my leg, and the throbbing finally stopped.

"Thanks." I whispered, not wanting to interrupt Reyna, who was still barking orders. The guy looked up, surprised, before going back to his task.

"No problem." I heard him mumble.

Reyna paused to take a question from the legion and was about to answer when a familiar gravelly voice rang out.

"You guys, I've been waiting on that ship for hours! When are you going to be done already?"

Coach Hedge rounded the corner and froze.

The Romans looked just as surprised as he did.

"Coach Hedge?" I asked in disbelief. I had completely forgotten about the satyr! Hazel's expression told me it had slipped her mind as well.

"Hazel? What's going on?" The satyr demanded. His eyes fell on me. "Annabeth?! When'd you get here? Where are the others?"

Reyna blinked at him.

"Friend of yours?" She asked us, not taking her eyes off the satyr.

"You could say that." Hazel replied sheepishly. "Sorry, Coach!" She called. "We got a little… tied up…" The daughter of Pluto winced at the unintentional pun.

Hedge's nostrils flared.

"Looks like I got here just in time." He growled, cracking his neck.

Oh no.

With an angry battle cry, the middle-aged satyr charged the Second Cohort. At least, he tried to. Coach Hedge tripped and fell, hitting his head on a rock. The satyr went out cold.

There was stunned silence. Reyna turned to look at us quizzically.

"Explain." She ordered us, perturbed.

Hazel chewed her lip. "He's… our, um….chaperone?"

Reyna raised her eyebrows.

"When we got here, we left him behind to guard the ship…" Hazel trailed off awkwardly. "I guess he got tired of waiting."

Reyna furrowed her eyebrows.

"The ship?" She repeated. Hazel nodded.

"The Argo II."

Reyna studied us.

"This wouldn't happen to be the same warship that fired on Camp Jupiter, would it?" She asked, her tone oddly neutral. Hazel gulped and nodded again. Reyna paused. I could see the gears turning in her head.

"Where is it?"

Hazel tilted her head.

"It's um… about ten minutes away from here. Why do you…" Hazel stopped mid sentence as realization dawned on her. "Ohhh… you want to… oh." The daughter of Pluto swallowed.

"Take me to it." Reyna instructed.

"It's not going to work!" Hazel protested.

"Take. Me. To it." The Praetor repeated firmly. Hazel glanced at me, torn. I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. What else could I do?

Defeated, Hazel stood, wincing as she put weight on her left foot.

"Here, let me." Vincent snapped out of his stupor and rushed over to Hazel, kneeling by her. After a moment, her ankle began to glow faintly. Hazel flexed her foot experimentally.

"Thank you." She smiled, pleased. Vincent ducked his head in acknowledgement. Reyna cleared her throat.

"Well?" The Roman prompted.

Hazel's smiled faded.

"Right." She muttered resignedly. "Follow me." Hazel treaded heavily around the corner and vanished from sight, flanked by two Roman guards.

Reyna turned towards me.

"Can she walk?" She asked Vincent, as though I wasn't there. Irritation surged through me.

"Yes, _she_ can." I answered for him, meeting Reyna's eyes. The Praetor raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Don't fall behind." She said simply. "Tie him up and bring him with us." Reyna ordered, pointing at Coach Hedge, before turning and following Hazel. Metal clanked as the legionnaires followed suit, casting me curious looks as the passed.

I rose to my feet, instantly regretting it. My ankle was not completely healed. I managed to bite back a cry of pain and instead trudged after the Romans. Vincent hovered by me anxiously.

"Would you like help?" He asked, eyeing my obvious limp.

"No." I replied through gritted teeth. I slipped on a pebble and nearly lost my balance. "Okay, yes." I relented begrudgingly.

The Roman healer gingerly draped my arm around his neck, like he was afraid he'd break me. His other arm wrapped around my side and I stiffened.

Vincent noticed my reaction and his face flushed.

"Sorry," He mumbled, glancing away.

"No, it's not that." I said quickly, feeling my own face grow hot. "I think some of my ribs might be fractured, that's all…"

The medic stared at me.

"How are you still standing?" He marveled. I forced a smile and shrugged.

We walked the rest of the way in awkward silence. Several minutes later, the Romans stood assembled in front of the Argo II. Reyna scanned the ship appraisingly.

"This will definitely work. Alright everyone, let's-"

Reyna was interrupted by a loud roar. Festus the figurehead growled, his drill-bit teeth whirring aggressively. My throat closed at the sight of the metal dragon.

Reyna took a couple steps back, her eyes narrowed.

"Hazel, what is this?" She asked my friend.

The daughter of Pluto was quiet for a moment.

"That's Festus." Hazel responded, her voice tight.

Octavian blinked before laughing rudely.

"You named a metal dragon _Happy_?" He stared at Festus in disbelief. Hazel glared at him.

"Leo named him." She said simply. The smiled fell off Octavian's face. Even he knew better than to talk badly about the dead.

Upon hearing his master's name, Festus twisted his neck to face Hazel, his head tilted expectantly. Hazel took a calming breath.

"It's okay, Festus." She told the dragon, her voice wavering.

The bronze dragon didn't move, obviously not convinced. He made a series of clicking and squeaking sounds, repeating one 'word' over and over again.

'EEE-_oh_. EEE-_oh_. EEE-_oh_.'

Leo.

My eyes pricked with tears. Festus was smarter than I gave him credit for.

"Leo's not here right now." I told him, trying to sound upbeat. "We'll meet him later, okay?" The dragon's red eyes bore into me. I tried not to flinch under his gaze.

Finally, Festus turned away. Reyna looked at me for a moment. She usually hid her emotions pretty well, but she didn't try to hide the sympathy in her eyes. I stared at my feet, hating myself for being this vulnerable.

Slowly, the Romans boarded the Argo II. I could tell some were apprehensive about riding the ship that attacked their home, but no one wanted to defy Reyna.

Once Vincent helped me onto the trireme, I felt my stomach knot up. The interior of the ship looked exactly as I'd left it, but it felt lonely and strange. Hazel caught my eye and I knew she was feeling the same thing.

My sorrow turned to anger as I heard some of the Romans complementing the ship. They gazed at it wonderingly, like a piece of art at a museum. My temper flared, and I had to try hard not to yell at them.

How dare they board Leo's ship? This was his, and it would always be his! They didn't see the months he put into the Argo II; the sleepless nights and endless days. This ship was more than the result of Leo's time and energy; it was a piece of him!

I was seething. Vincent noticed my change in demeanor.

"You okay?" He asked, chewing his lip nervously. I was about to reply with a scathing remark when Reyna called out.

"Annabeth! Hazel! Come here!" I realized her voice was coming from quarterdeck, where the controls were.

Vincent helped me make my way towards the deck, although there were so many Romans shuffling around it was difficult to move. Hazel fell into step beside me, her shoulders slumped. I saw tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Everywhere I look, it reminds me of him." She whispered to me, her voice quaking. I sighed, wishing my hands were free so I could hug her.

"I know. Me too." I said quietly.

We approached Reyna, who was staring at the controls like they were from another planet. A few Romans were inspecting the various navigation equipment. One stared at the Wii remotes in confusion.

"Do you know how any of this works?" Reyna asked me, pinching the bridge of her nose. I scanned the equipment, and a fond smile came to my face.

"Leo was the only one who knew how to work all this." I told her honestly. "All I know is you pull the aviation throttle back to go up." It was ironic that I had once cursed Leo for making the controls so complicated. Now, I thanked him for it.

Reyna ran a hand through her hair.

"Can you figure it out, Aaron?" She questioned one of the surrounding Romans, a tall guy with the calloused hands of a mechanic.

"Maybe. It's going to take some time, though." He said regretfully. Aaron looked at me, and although he was frustrated, I could tell he was also impressed.

"He must have been a genius." He told me softly.

I blinked away my tears and smiled.

"He was."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Greetings! I sure hope everyone is reading these... I was astounded by the feedback! Seriously, you guys are the best! I just wanted to the let you know that I'm sick, incase my writing is sub-par today. I also apologize if it feels a little slow... I promise there's going to be some action later.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or the characters (aside from a few OC's).**

**Thanks again to the folks who left reviews! And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Five! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Five

**Nico's POV**

I trudged through the halls of my father's palace, my shoes scuffing on the polished bronze floor.

The undead acknowledged me with a respectful nod as I passed, but I could feel them glaring at the back of my head with their empty eye sockets.

I suppressed a shiver. Some people assumed I felt at home down here. They were wrong.

You never really get used to it.

But at the moment, I was too preoccupied to care. I was still steaming from my encounter with the Romans, but my thoughts focused mainly on one subject.

I brushed past the skeletons guarding the entrance to my father's throne room and pushed the doors open.

Lord Hades was not alone.

Two guards flanked a spirit dressed in gray robes, who was speaking desperately to my father in the chattering language of the undead.

Hades lounged in his obsidian throne, appearing disinterested. He shook his head and waved his hand at the specter.

The skeletons grabbed the spirit and dragged him from the throne room.

I stepped to the side as they passed. The spirit locked eyes with me and screamed in the same rattling dialect.

The doors shut with an echoing thud, and the throne room was silent.

"What was that?" I asked, staring at the closed doors.

"An appeal." Hades answered, his voice weary. "He was a part of a terrorist group that targeted Muslims. According to his religion, he deserved Elysium for violently murdering hundreds of people based purely on _their_ religion."

I glanced at my father. He just seemed so... tired.

"He lived his whole life doing what he believed was right." Hades sighed.

"What did you sentence him to?" I already knew the answer.

"Punishment." Hades looked at me. "Nico, do you understand that as a ruler, I have to make the tough decisions?" He questioned me.

I stared at my feet, knowing where he was going with this.

"I guess you already know why I'm here then?" I ventured, my voice bitter. My father nodded.

We were quiet for a moment.

"Where…?" I didn't need to say anything else.

"Elysium."

"Oh." I didn't know what I had expected. I should have felt glad, but I just felt empty. "Was it quick?"

Hades studied me, his expression unreadable.

"Relatively speaking." He answered finally. My blood turned to ice.

"How long?" I managed. I almost didn't want to know.

"Seven minutes."

The throne room was silent again, except for the crackling torches and my own ragged breathing. I leaned against the wall, feeling as though the room were spinning. After a few minutes, I regained my composure.

"Why?"

Hades didn't answer.

"_Why?!_" I shouted. My voiced echoed around the massive room, throwing my question back at me. My father opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't let him.

"Why didn't you let _me_?" I demanded. The God's eyes narrowed.

"I have already explained-"

I cut him off again.

"I don't care! I could have done it!" My voice trembled. "After I closed the doors, I could have escaped safely! I could've used the shadows…"

"No." Hades was firm. "Tartarus plays by its own rules. You wouldn't have made it."

"Why didn't you let me decide that for myself? It's my life, not yours!" I retorted angrily.

The temperature dropped. Hades rose from his throne, his eyes narrowed into slits. Fear swelled inside me, but I forced it down.

"I'm not a child anymore." I pointed out, gripping the handle of my sword. "If I want to sacrifice my life, then it should be my decision. You can't keep telling me what to do!"

Hades regarded me coldly.

"Actually, I can." He growled. "You are my son, and you _will_ obey me. I know what's best for you."

I grit my teeth. "No, you just think you do!" I shot back. "I knew what needed to be done, and I was ready to do it! But then, you banned me from setting foot inside Tartarus!"

When I said banned, I didn't mean forbid. I meant he physically _banned_ me from entering Tartarus.

Hades scowled.

"What else was I supposed to do? You were going to throw your life away!"

I laughed harshly. "What, so it was okay for Leo to 'throw his life away', but not me?" I said accusingly. "Why is my life any more meaningful than his?"

My father's eyes flashed dangerously.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with." He warned me.

"Neither do you." I spat. "If you're so powerful, then why couldn't you travel through Tartarus, huh? Percy and Annabeth, two half-bloods, did what you couldn't!" I knew I was pushing it, but I was too upset to care.

Hades' nostrils flared.

"I will not stand here and be insulted in my own home!" He snarled. "Now go to your room before I do something we'll both regret." Hades threatened.

I didn't move. "In case you haven't noticed, _dad_, but it's my home too!" I retorted.

"Did you know he came to me?" I asked quietly, my eyes softening. "Leo asked me about it. He wanted to know what he was getting himself into. I had to sit there and tell him what would happen, and when I asked him why he wanted to know, he just shrugged and said 'No reason.' I could see right then and there that he'd made up his mind, and, _thanks to you,_ there was nothing I could do about it."

My father held my gaze, unmoving.

"I never got the chance to tell him that I would've done it." I continued. "He probably died thinking that no one aside from Percy and Annabeth were willing to die for the quest, for _him_." My expression hardened again.

"I'm going to go fix that, right now." I turned on my heel and stormed out of my father's throne room.

I heard his voice call after me.

"Nico, stop right there! I forbid you-"

I slammed the doors behind me.

* * *

**Annabeth's POV**

Reyna led Vincent, Hazel and me into the first unoccupied room she found, which just happened to be mine.

I followed the Praetor into the cabin reluctantly. Reyna took in the tidy room. Her gaze strayed to my desk, where she studied a picture of my father, grinning beside one of his planes. I smiled faintly at the photo. After Reyna had finished examining my room, she gestured to my bunk.

"Sit down." It wasn't a suggestion. It was odd being ordered around in my old room, like if you were having a party at your house and somebody else suddenly took the role of hostess.

Hazel and I settled onto the bed as Vincent continued his healing.

"Now, I have some questions for you two." Reyna said, closing the door. Her dogs, Aurum and Argentium, sat down on either side of her. "When we get back to New Rome, you will be put on trial." My eyes widened as I remembered what Reyna had told me at Fort Sumter. The Praetor caught my expression.

"Don't worry, it'll be fair." She assured me. "What happened earlier today was enough to convince me of your innocence. I truly believe you were victims of circumstance, just trying to do the right thing. But I want to hear your side of the story here, not in court." She explained.

I nodded. That made sense.

"Where should I start?" I asked.

"From the beginning." Reyna replied.

I took a deep breath and began my story.

I told Reyna about Percy's disappearance so many months ago and recounted my various attempts to locate him. I told her about Jason, Leo, and Piper and the prophecy at the campfire, which led to their quest. I explained how Leo had found Festus and given him wings before setting off.

As I talked, I could feel Vincent's healing magic doing its job. Many of my smaller cuts were closing and fading into small white scars.

I recounted our adventures; from encountering Echo and Narcissus, to Percy and Jason's eidolon induced duel, Piper's exorcism, Frank and Percy's narrow escape with Phorcys, and my talk with Aphrodite.

I paused when I got to the part where Octavian confronted us. Reyna nodded for me to continue, her expressions still hidden.

"Um, okay… Hazel, Piper, and I were heading back to the ship when three of those giant eagles stopped us. Octavian and these other two Romans intercepted us. Normally, I probably would have just ignored Octavian…" I smiled apologetically. Reyna didn't seem upset, though, so I continued.

"But he had these other two Romans with him that looked pretty tough. So Octavian was screaming at us to 'Surrender to Rome!' and we tried to explain how the attack on Camp Jupiter had been an accident, but he had wax in his ears, on account of Piper's charm speak." I recalled.

"See, at this point, Nemesis had told Hazel and…" I faltered. "And… Leo… that to unite the Greeks and Romans I had to follow the Mark of Athena. So I couldn't let us get captured." I tried to make Reyna understand my point of view, but it was difficult to gauge her emotions.

"Anyways, Octavian told us to drop our weapons, and I had to get Percy's attention. He was underwater talking with some Naiads." I explained. "So I took my dagger and flung it into the lake. I just gave Octavian this sort of dumb-blonde smile, and he bought it." I couldn't hide my grin as I told the next part.

"Then Percy just bursts out of the lake in this giant wave, and Octavian's in the water screaming his head off, clinging to another Roman for dear life." Beside me, Hazel tried to conceal her laughter as she remembered the look on Octavian's face.

The corner of Reyna's mouth twitched upwards, her eyes flashing with mirth.

"Funny… Octavian never mentioned that to me." She mused. "He just said you got away."

Hearing this, Haze and I couldn't stand it any longer and laughed. I quickly recovered myself and continued my story.

"Well, after we... um, escaped... we made it to the Mediterranean and got attacked by this giant sea monster… what did Leo call it?" I asked Hazel.

"Shrimp-zilla." Hazel remembered, smiling sadly. "Frank, Leo, and I were knocked overboard, but we were saved by some ichthyocentaurs. Turns out they were the brothers of Chiron. They helped us get back to our ship, and we made our way to the pillars leading into Rome." The daughter of Pluto explained how Piper and Jason had met Hercules and wound up defeating the legendary hero.

"This is where we split up." Hazel said. "Percy took Annabeth to follow the Mark of Athena before he went with Jason and Piper to fight the giants Otis and Ephialtes. Frank, Leo, and I went to look for Nico, but wound up finding Archimedes' scrolls instead." I listened intently, myself having not heard this part of the story.

My friend briefly described her's, Frank's, and Leo's escape when they were sealed in Archimedes' tomb before explaining how they all met up and ventured out to find me.

"While all this was going on, Annabeth was deep underground, searching for the Athena Parthenos." Hazel glanced at me. "Do you want to take over?"

Reyna looked at me expectantly, not having interrupted once.

"Yes, do tell." The Praetor encouraged me.

So I told them about my adventure through the tunnels under Rome. Even though I had briefly described my adventure to Hazel, she listened intently, enraptured by my story.

When I reached the part where I discovered the Athena Parthenos, Reyna's eyes widened, but she remained silent.

Finally, after explaining my battle with Arachne in great detail, I got to the part where the cavern fell to pieces.

"I should have been more observant." I sighed. "A piece of web got caught around my ankle, and Arachne was pulling me in." Here, my voice broke. Hazel glanced at me sympathetically. I paused to compose myself, not wanting to cry in front of Reyna. The time for weakness was over.

"Percy grabbed my hand and we fell into the pit. He managed to grab a ledge, but the weight on my ankle was getting heavier. I told him to just let me go, but he didn't. We fell in together." I finished.

Reyna knit her brows.

"That's… pretty amazing." She told me, impressed. I looked at Reyna in surprise.

Another voice caught me off-guard.

"And here I am; only good for healing people."

It was Vincent. The Roman had been so quiet, I'd almost forgotten he was there. I stood slowly, realizing almost all my injures were mended.

"There's going to be quite a lot of scarring." Vincent told me apologetically. "But your ankle should be as good as new after a week's rest."

I grinned. "No, thank you. This is… perfect." I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't been in constant pain.

Hazel smiled as well when she noticed her battle wounds were also healed.

Reyna was about to speak when there was a knock at the door. The Praetor scowled and moved to open it.

"What is it?" She inquired impatiently.

A Roman legionnaire stood in the doorway excitedly, breathing as though he'd run here.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but there's something you need to see…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Salutations! I'm so happy to hear you guys like it! To everyone who reviewed; you are the coolest of the cool! Okay, back to business. The first POV is Percy's, and for it I jumped forward a bit. Chapter one was around late afternoon, if anyone recalls, and I'm guessing that it's around early evening for Annabeth and co. For Percy, let's skip forward a few hours. After all, they've just been flying over the Mediterranean the whole time. Oh, and if you're curious as to why Percy hasn't healed himself in the sea, remember what Reyna said about the Mediterranean. It's crawling with sea monsters. Not a good place to take a rejuvenating bath.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or the characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Six! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Six

**Percy's POV**

Night was falling, and I was fading fast.

I know, Blackjack's the one actually flying, but I never have to worry about him. He's got incredible endurance.

Maybe I overdid it back there.

My exhaustion finally caught up with me. I was having trouble staying upright.

My friends had taken notice. Frank hovered close by, now in the form of a hummingbird. He easily matched pace with Blackjack, flitting about anxiously.

Jason cast me worried glances when he thought I wasn't looking. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Piper whispering in Jason's ear. The son of Jupiter nodded thoughtfully.

"Hey, Percy…" Jason called hesitantly. I turned to face him, already knowing what he was going to say.

"Yeah?" I answered, my voice strained.

"Do you wanna… um, stop for a little bit?" Jason ventured gently.

Irritation surged through me.

"I don't know about you, but Camp Halfblood is under attack, and the longer we take, the more lives that are in danger. You want to stop and rest? That's fine. But as long as Blackjack is willing, I'm not stopping until I get there."

It came out harsher than I intended.

Jason blinked, taken aback.

A tense silence settled over us. I glanced away, angry with myself for snapping. I absently wrapped a strand of Blackjack's silky mane around my finger, guilt overwhelming me. Jason was supporting both himself and Piper. I didn't know how easy it was for him to manipulate the winds, but we had been flying nonstop for hours.

Not only that, but Frank was constantly working to keep himself airborne. All the wing flapping must be tiring the guy out.

"I'm sorry…" I sighed. "It's fine if you guys want to rest. Really." I told them sincerely. "I know we've been at this for hours, and you've got Piper and…"

"Don't worry about it." Jason smiled. "The winds have been blowing in the right direction for hours, now. It's not very difficult to hitch a ride." He told me.

I studied Jason's face, finding no dishonesty in his expression.

"Frank?" I called to the hummingbird. "You can totally just rest on Blackjack. You weigh practically nothing, I'm sure he won't mind." I asked the pegasus if the hummingbird was welcome, and he whinnied his okay.

"See?" I prompted. The hummingbird darted around me for a moment before settling himself into Blackjack's mane, right between the pegasus's ears.

We grew quiet again, but it was a different kind of silence. A comfortable one.

After a long while, I saw something on the horizon.

"Is that land?" I asked, not sure if I was seeing clearly. Jason squinted.

"I think it is..." He breathed, grinning suddenly. It was dark, but there was no mistaking the shoreline. My heart skipped a beat.

We were headed home.

* * *

**Annabeth's POV**

We traipsed after the Roman legionaire.

Reyna seemed curious and hopeful. I felt dread and anxiety. After all, what was good for the Romans wasn't necessarily good for me. Hazel and I followed Reyna nervously as we traveled deeper into the Argo II. Finally, the Roman stopped at two swinging double doors that led to the hold. More Roman campers stood by, barely able to contain their excitement.

As soon as we approached, I knew what was behind the doors. The power emanating from inside was unmistakable.

The legionnaire tugged the doors open, and several of the Romans gasped.

The Athena Parthenos lay on it's side within the hold.

Reyna stared at the ancient stature before turning to Hazel and me.

"You put it in the hold?" The Praetor asked in disbelief. Hazel ducked her head sheepishly.

"That's the only place it fit..."

The assembled Romans gaped at the stature, stunned.

"You actually recovered it?" Reyna inquired. Hazel nodded.

"I was going to tell you about it... but then..." My friend shrugged.

The statue was as impressive as I remembered. The ivory shone so brightly it almost sparkled. Up close, I could see all the detail carved into Athena's face. Those ancient Greeks sure knew their stuff.

"What do we do with it?" One of the Romans wondered aloud.

I bristled. After all, I had been the one to find it and rescue it from Arachne. My friends had seized it from the collapsing cavern. The fact that the Romans were claiming it as theirs annoyed me to no end, but now was no time to start a fight.

"I think _we _are supposed to use it to defeat the Giants." I interjected. "It holds ancient power that might finally end this war."

"Yeah," Hazel jumped in. "Nemesis told Leo and me that if Annabeth followed the Mark of Athena, she could unit the Romans and the Greeks. Settle an old score..."

The crowd of Romans murmured uncertainly.

"Wait, you met the Goddess of Revenge?" One of the legionnaires shouted.

"What if this is a trick?" Another demanded.

"Yeah!"

The Romans were glaring at me and Hazel now. I knew if a fight broke out, we were goners. Sure, my wounds were healed, but my hands were tied and the Romans had weapons.

Reyna raised her hands for silence.

"Calm down!" She ordered sternly. "You're being paranoid! These two have my complete trust. To question them is to question me."

That shut everybody up.

Reyna glanced at me and Hazel.

"You two better come with me." She said quietly, before addressing the legion again. "Keep those doors closed at all times! No one is to touch the statue, understand? And will someone got get a progress report on the controls? We need this ship airborne asap!"

The crowd disbanded.

Reyna led me back to my cabin. The Praetor opened the door and gestured for me to enter.

I did, my eyebrow raised in confusion. Hazel tried to follow me, but Reyna put out a hand to stop her.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I'm going to have to keep you in here for the trip home." She informed me regretfully. I swallowed.

"It's f-fine..." It wasn't. I was going to be alone.

"I'll come check on you in an hour or so, okay?" Reyna's eyes searched mine.

"O-okay." I went and sat on my bunk, giving Hazel a small smile.

Reyna closed the door. I heard the lock click.

Now that I was alone, I let the tears fall.

I cried for Leo. I cried for Percy, who I might never see again. I cried for all my friends that I cared about so much it hurt. They were my family.

I cried for what I'd been through, and for what I was going through. I cried for what I'd seen in Tartarus, and for what Percy had protected me from.

I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. When the tears finally stopped, I just laid on my bed, exhausted. Oddly enough, I felt better. I guess what people said was true.

Sometimes, you just needed a good cry.

Suddenly the intercom system blared to life.

"This is Reyna speaking. We are taking off momentarily. If you have found a seat, I suggest you take it. It might get a little bumpy." The loudspeaker clicked off. Outside my door, I could hear the Romans cheering, happy to finally return home.

My stomach knotted up.

I prayed to every God I knew that Percy and the others made it to Camp safely.

Their time was up.

* * *

**That's all for Chapter Six! Sorry it's a short one, but I promise I'll make up for it next chapter.**

**Next chapter has Leo in it.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**- Aqua.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hey there, readers! Are you excited for this chapter? I'm excited! Thank you so much for the reviews! Ahmahgawsh, you have NO idea how awesome it is to hear your thoughts. As promised, there is Leo in this chapter, but first I'm going to make you wait by reading Percy's POV! Muahahahahahaha!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but your tears (kidding!) I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or the characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Seven! - Aqua. **

* * *

Chapter Seven

**Percy's POV**

Compared to our trek across the Mediterranean, traveling to New York was nothing.

We made it there under an hour. Blackjack really shifted into gear; the pegasus was as anxious as I was to return home.

As we approached Long Island Sound, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest. The familiar rolling hills of Camp Half-Blood greeted us beneath a starry sky.

Then I saw the legion.

Roman tents had been set up around the valley, just beyond the magical borders. Smoke from campfires curled up into the night sky. I saw catapults and battering rams waiting, as well as a fully grown elephant in a bulletproof vest.

As we passed over the Roman forces and into camp, I heard shouts of alarm. A spear whistled by, just narrowly missing Blackjack's wing.

We charged over the border, quickly losing altitude. I saw my target.

The lake.

I glanced over at Jason, and he seemed to understand. Frank the hummingbird removed himself from Blackjack's mane and darted towards the ground. Jason and Piper fell back, landing somewhere behind me.

The lake was only a few feet away.

"Thanks for everything, Blackjack."

_'Don't mention it, boss. Anytime.'_

I released my hold on the pegasus and slipped off his back, freefalling into the lake.

The water was even better than I had imagined. A cooling sensation spread throughout my limbs, and my body relaxed. Glancing at my arms, I saw most of my cuts closing up, leaving faint white marks.

Two Naiads stared at me in surprise. I waved at them before propelling myself upwards.

My head broke the surface, and I inhaled deeply. The air smelled like strawberries.

I kicked towards the dock, pulling myself up with my good arm.

Nearly the entire camp was waiting for me, jaws dropped. My friendly smile turned into a confused frown as I noticed some of them were staring at the lake with wide eyes.

I turned my head and saw a dark stain rising to the surface of the lake.

Blood.

My blood.

I winced, rubbing the back of my neck with my good arm.

"Hey... what's up?"

* * *

**Nico's POV**

I stared at the golden gates, a lump forming in my throat.

It looked like the entrance to any rich, gated community in the mortal world, complete with a guard's station. I walked up to the small booth and knocked gently on the glass. The guard, a friendly looking man with kind eyes, rolled down his window.

"Hello!" He greeted me. "My name's Greg." The guard gestured to his name tag. "How may I help you today?"

"I'm here visiting." I said, my voice hoarse.

"Name?" Greg inquired politely.

"Nico di Angelo."

Greg studied me for a moment before recognition flashed in his eyes.

"You've visited here before, haven't you?"

I nodded, remembering the time I had traveled to Elysium to speak with Charles Beckendorf. The guard rummaged around in a drawer and pulled out a laminated badge on a lanyard.

"Please wear your visitor's pass at all times." Greg instructed me. I slipped the cord around my neck silently. "Have a wonderful time!" The guard smiled pleasantly, pressing a button. The golden gates swung open. I returned his smile half-heartedly and entered Elysium.

Even though I had seen it before, the sight still took my breath away.

Healthy green grass covered gentle hills, which were peppered with lush trees. A few people swung from the branches, laughing lightheartedly. When I looked up, I did not see the familiar cavernous ceiling of the Underworld; I saw an endless blue sky flecked with fluffy white clouds. The sun was warm on my skin, and a cool breeze tugged at my clothes playfully.

Behind the shaded park, I could see an immense sparkling lake, where a speed boat was pulling a figure on water skis. In the distance, I could see the faint outline of the Isles of the Blest, which I had never been to.

There was a barbecue set up, and a group of teenagers surrounded it, chatting animatedly. I recognized a few as demigods I'd seen around Camp Half-Blood, who had died in the Titan war. I also noticed a few Huntresses, Artemis's immortal servants who could only die in battle. The sight of them made my chest tighten uncomfortably, so I glanced away quickly.

The guy manning the grill looked no older than Percy, smiling and talking with some wood nymphs as he flipped burgers.

A mortal couple lounged on the grass a few yards off, their fingers intertwined.

It was hard to believe that every one of these people was dead.

I took a sidewalk leading into the residential area, which contained all sorts of houses. I saw old-fashioned Victorian manors, luxurious modern mansions, powerful Greek temples, and even a greenhouse overflowing with vibrant flowers, probably for a nymph or a dryad.

Each house had a pristine front lawn made of glittering rainbow grass, with flower beds of silver and gold. The streets were smooth and gentle on my feet. I felt as though I could walk forever and never tire.

I studied the rows of houses. Each one was different from the next, reflecting the personality of the person living there. People, both mortal and demigod, waved at me as they passed. I even saw a satyr, who was playing a cheerful song on his reed pipes for a pretty dryad.

After I had walked for a good ten minutes, I realized I had no idea where I was, or where I should go. I flagged down a random girl. She jogged up to me, her eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity. She had deep brown eyes and auburn hair that shimmered like silk. She practically glowed with health.

"Hello! Need something?" She asked me, her voice light and bubbly. Her gaze fell on my visitor's badge, and she smiled knowingly. "Looking for someone?" The girl asked me.

"Yes." I replied. "Leo Valdez. Do you know him?"

The girl tapped her chin, her brows creased in concentration. "Could you describe him?" She requested after a moment.

I nodded. "He's about my height, with tan skin, and dark, curly hair." I told her. "He has a tool belt, and he would have gotten here not too long ago."

The girl's eyes brightened.

"Ohh.. you must mean the new guy!" She exclaimed happily. "He's pretty funny, but doesn't seem too comfortable around strangers." She frowned for a moment before smiling again. "His house is a few blocks that way." The girl pointed down the street. "It's like this big, metal fortress; unlike any house I've seen here before. It's really cool. You can't miss it!"

I swallowed, forcing a smile. "Thanks." I managed.

The girl beamed at me. "No problem!" She sang before bouncing off.

I set off down the street, my hands in my pockets. I felt like I'd just swallowed a bucket of nails.

After a couple minutes walk, I stood in front of what could have only been Leo's house. The building fit the description 'fortress' perfectly. It was huge, first of all, and made of several different types of metal that looked like they'd been smashed together haphazardly. Random wires and pipes emerged from the structure, sometimes re-entering the building after making complicated curls and loops. Three large tubes jutted out from the side, emitting puffs of smoke, but I didn't smell the foul stench usually associated with factories. The smoke smelled like burning wood, sweet and acidic at the same time, with fresh, piney accents.

I stood in front of the building, unable to move. He was in there. I could feel it.

I forced myself to walk up the steps leading to the front door. The door was made of polished brass and adorned with a huge metal wheel, like you'd find on a safe. My knees buckled. Slowly, I rose my hand and pressed the doorbell.

A song chimed from within the building, playing out an intricate tune I did not recognize. My heart was pounding. Finally, after a few seconds, which felt like an eternity, I heard a familiar voice from inside.

"Yo, hold up!"

The metal wheel on the door turned and the door swung open.

Leo Valdez stared at me for a moment before his face split into a grin.

"Nico, my man! Welcome to the party!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Did you like the last chapter? Huh? I REGRET NOTHING! But I promise, next chapter has more Leo. Seriously. ****Anywho, in this chapter, Clarisse (yes, Clarisse) will shed some light on what happened after Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo left on the Argo II. Mark of Athena took place in about a week, right? And at the end they said they had a month to close the doors of death? (You know, after Percabeth fell into Tartarus?) Well, let's say that this fic takes place at the end that month, and even though Reyna said she'd slow down the attack on Camp-Halfblood, let's say the Romans have been waging war for a business week (five days). Now that the timeline is cleared up, I have an announcement. You probably haven't noticed, but the alternate ending to chapter one is up. It's called How far I've gone, and it's about our favorite repair boy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, or the HoO series. **

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy chapter eight! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

**Clarisse's POV**

Today just wasn't my day.

Two more campers died overnight. One of them was a healer from the Apollo cabin. Not good.

The Romans had retreated to their campgrounds for the night, again. They did this every day. I don't know if they did this to regroup or give us time to bury the dead, but it annoyed me. If those pansies were going to try and take Camp Halfblood, the least they could have done was conquer us quickly.

Sissies.

The first day, they had just set up shop around our valley, like they were here for a nice little camp out. I half expected to see them roasting marshmallows on their spears.

By this point, we had been expecting their attack for weeks. When Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo had set off in that giant warship (which was wicked cool, by the way) to go rescue Percy, I had gotten a bad feeling right away.

I could tell things weren't going to go as planned.

My hunch proved to be right when Tyson (Percy's cyclops half-brother, long story) charged into camp on Mrs. O'leary (Percy's pet hellhound, another long story), screaming his head off. He had a harpy with him too, but she wasn't much help. She just went _'Romans are not good for harpies' _and flew off into the forest.

It took a jumbo peanut butter sandwich and three juice boxes to get Tyson calm again. When he could actually speak clearly, he gave us some bad news. For whatever reason, the Argo II had fired on Camp Jupiter, and the Romans took that as a declaration of war. Turns out Roman demigods were pretty sensitive when you attacked their home. Those wusses seriously needed to lighten up and learn to take a joke.

Anyway, after Tyson had explained all this, the camp went into panic mode. Percy and Annabeth were both MIA, and most of the other campers seemed to believe we couldn't function without them. So I did what any self-respecting kid of Ares would do in this kind of situation.

I took charge.

Our number had grown considerably once the Titan war had ended. Once everything had calmed down, we had really begun to focus on training our new recruits. I felt we had a good chance of fending off our attackers.

I whipped the camp into a frenzy preparing for battle against the Romans. When Jason was here, he had told us plenty about Camp Jupiter, so we thought we were prepared.

But when they finally showed, several weeks after the attack on New Rome, they did something I didn't even expect.

Those punk Romans read us an official request to surrender. From an official scroll. By an official messenger.

Like... what. The. Heck.

It's like they thought they could show up at our doorstep and order us to surrender, and we'd be all "Oh, you want us to give up? Sure thing!"

As if. What was their deal?

That didn't sit well with me, or my cabin. So after some yelling, punching, and cursing in ancient Greek, the Romans seemed to get the message. They attacked the next day.

I'll admit, they caught me off guard. I had heard about how skilled they were and everything, but I hadn't expected them to be so...

Ruthless.

We lost eight campers in the first battle. The Romans lost zero.

The second day, we tried to drive them from the valley. We lost one.

The third day, they tried to drive _us_ from the valley. We lost five.

It was their sheer numbers that astounded me. From what Jason told us, there were these groups called 'cohorts', with like, forty campers each. From what I could gather in battle, there were four cohorts here; the First Cohort, the Third Cohort, the Fourth Cohort, and the Fifth Cohort.

That means roughly 160 campers, plus all their catapults and their war elephant.

We were outnumbered, but certainly not outskilled. After the third day, the Romans called a ceasefire. We had a counselor meeting, and after much deliberation (arguing), we accepted. The fourth day was spent tending to the wounded and mourning the dead. Unfortunately, we had quite a bit of both.

I knew why we were losing. I had seen it in battle.

This new kid, twelve years old, had been fighting next to me during the first battle. I was grappling with this burly Roman; we had each other in death grips. But I could still see the kid. He was young and inexperienced. But somehow (beginner's luck?), he managed to disarm his opponent, who was at least sixteen years old. The kid was in perfect position to finish him off, but he hesitated.

His opponent didn't.

The Roman swept the kid off his feet, took his sword, and stabbed him in the chest.

Just like that.

That was the thing about these Romans. They didn't hesitate to go in for the kill.

I tried to bring this up at the counselor meeting, but they all shot me down. Even Chiron, who understood warfare better than anyone. They were uncomfortable with the idea of killing everyone we tangled with. They said we shouldn't have to kill to win this war.

Shouldn't.

In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to kill. In fact, in a perfect world, I wouldn't exist, because my dad wouldn't exist. Sometimes, I wondered if this was partly his fault. He'd tried to start WWIII before, after all. But he never answered me when I asked for advice. He never responded to my offerings or prayers. None of the Gods did.

Chiron said that the Gods and Goddesses were having a hard time, because both their Roman and Greek sides were duking it out. They didn't know which team to side with.

I was personally a little insulted. We had worked our butts off for the Gods! It was about time they returned the favor...

The next day, the fifth day, they attacked again. We lost three this time.

But this time, the Romans lost one too. That was my doing.

Do I regret it? Sorta. I don't regret killing the guy, but I regret being put into a situation where I had to kill him. You see, he was about to kill someone, too. This fourteen year old girl from the Demeter cabin. I didn't even know her name, but I killed a complete stranger to protect her.

War brings out the best, and the worst, in people.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy killing. Just because my dad's the God of War doesn't mean I want to rip everyone's head off, even though I act like it. Being a child of the War God means you don't let people push you around. You push them first, so they know not to mess with you. So far, that's what's worked for me.

...Except with Percy Jackson.

Another bad thing about being a child of Ares is that in times of battle, everyone looked to you for leadership. It's not that I minded being a leader, I just had a lot on my shoulders. But, me being me, I still took command.

That's why I got stuck guarding the border at midnight.

So there I was, standing alone right on the magical border, when a freaking pegasus dives into camp. Some of the Romans tried to shoot it down, but it was too fast. I also saw two people flying... two people that I recognized.

"No..." I mumbled. "No way."

I ran after them, catching up right when they landed. It was Jason and Piper.

"What the Hades?" I demanded. "Where did you come from?"

Jason gave me an apologetic smile.

"We just... flew... all the way from... Greece..." He panted. Piper nodded sympathetically.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

Piper bit her lip.

"Leo... Leo's dead."

I stared at her.

"Why...?" I trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"He stayed behind in Tartarus to close the Doors of Death." Piper told me, glancing away. I could see the tears filling her eyes and decided to change the subject.

"What about Percy?" I asked.

"Pegasus." Piper pointed to where the black horse had flown.

"Annabeth?"

Piper ran a hand through her hair.

"She and Hazel were taken into custody by the Romans." She told me.

"Who's Hazel?" I raised an eyebrow.

"A friend of Percy's. She's one of the Seven. She came with us when we fled New Rome. Frank did too." Piper explained.

"Frank?"

"He's around here somewhere..." Piper studied the sky.

I took a deep breath. "Okay... what was the deal with attacking the Romans?" I asked.

Jason spoke up. "Leo got possessed by eidolons. They're evil spirits working for Gaea."

My brain tried to absorb all this new information. Just when I thought my night couldn't get any crazier, a hummingbird landed beside me and turned into a dude.

"And that would be Frank." Piper smiled. The guy was Chinese, and he looked kinda buff, but I couldn't tell his age because he had a serious baby face.

I stared at the three demigods before shrugging. I had more pressing issues to attend to. I turned and headed toward the lake, where a crowd was gathering. I showed up just in time to hear Percy say "Hey... what's up?".

I pushed my way to the front of the crowd.

"You're late." I told him, my arms crossed. Was I happy to see him? Sure. Whatever. But I had a reputation to keep. With a stab of annoyance, I realized he had grown taller during his time away. Now, he stood a couple inches higher than me. My irritation faded, however, when I realized how beaten the dude looked.

Even though his bruises were fading (on account of the lake water, no doubt), I could tell his arm was badly broken. There was a large gash just above his forehead that was still in the process of closing up. Aside from those, his whole body looked like a cat had used him for a scratching post. If this was what he looked like _after_ the water had healed him...

My glare softened.

Percy tilted his head at me. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he got one word out, the ground trembled.

"PEERRRRRRCCCYYYYYY!"

Campers jumped out of the way as Tyson charged to meet his brother. The Cyclops wrapped Percy in a giant bear hug, not noticing his injuries. The son of Poseidon yelped in pain. Tyson set him down quickly, taking a step back. Wide-eyed, he looked at his hands, which were stained with blood. His lower lip trembled.

"It's okay, Tyson!" Percy assured the young Cyclops. "See?" He turned his back to reveal several nasty-looking gashes, which were healing as he spoke. "I had a run in with a Sphinx." Percy explained, sounding nonchalant.

Oh. I guess a cat _did_ use him as a scratching post.

The cuts closed, leaving large, white scars. Tyson stared at them, his one brown eye full of tears.

"Just like me." He murmured quietly. Percy swallowed and moved forward to hug his half-brother. Tyson returned his embrace hesitantly, afraid of hurting Percy again.

After a moment, Percy pulled away, scanning the faces of the people gathered. He turned to me.

"How many?" He asked, his voice tight.

I studied him for a moment. "17." I replied. Percy sighed heavily, like he was expecting this.

"Looks like we've got some work to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hello again, readers! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. My mom had clinicals so I had to watch my brothers, and then we had company over. As promised, this is a Leo chapter. Yay! It's another short one, but like I said, things are going to heat up pretty soon. I'm talking major epic Greek vs. Roman smackdown! Oh, and just to give you a mental image, Leo's house has a sort of steampunk theme, but crazier. Like steampunk on steroids.**

**Thanks for the people who reviewed, you are the awesomest! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the PJO or HoO books, unfortunately.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Nine! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Nine

**Nico's POV**

Death hadn't changed Leo.

He was still in his messy clothes, tool belt included, with oil smeared on his cheek and hands. I was thankful for that. I don't know how I would have reacted if he had been glowing like that girl I met. If I ignored my surroundings, I could almost pretend I wasn't in Elysium, visiting a dead friend in the afterlife.

Almost.

"It's you." I said numbly. Leo gave me his trademark grin.

"Yep." He replied. "It's me. Originally, I was going to chose reincarnation and try for the Isles of Blest, cause I hear that place is bangin', but then I realized I might get reborn into a lizard or something. How would I reach Elysium again if I was a lizard?" My friend laughed.

Leo pulled me inside, and despite my overwhelming emotions, I gasped.

The entryway was stunning. The floor was made of deep mahogany wood. I saw an old fashioned stovepipe furnace, but Leo had put his own twist on it and adorned it with all sorts of pipes and spinning gears. Two velvet chiffon armchairs flanked the fireplace, with a metal end table in between.

The walls were high, higher than they looked from the outside. There were several large, stained glass windows that cast a golden glow across the room. I realized with a start that I hadn't seen any windows when I was outside. There were tons of doors, each varying in design. I wondered how large this place really was.

Various inventions flitted about, emitting puffs of steam and whirring mechanically. Leo whistled, and the end table by the fireplace raced over, powered by a little propellor.

"Like him?" Leo grinned, reaching down to pat the table affectionately. "I call him Buford 2.0!"

I stared at the table.

"Your furniture's alive. Why?" I asked dryly.

"Why not?" Leo replied coyly. The mechanic kneeled so he was level with the table. "Buford, go run a status report on Projects A-31.4 through Projects B-25.7." He ordered. The small table whistled shrilly in response and raced off.

I looked at Leo questioningly.

"How long have you been here?" I tilted my head, fearing I was missing something.

"Oh, I don't know... twenty minutes?" Leo shrugged.

"You made all this in twenty minutes?" I gestured around me in amazement. Leo chuckled.

"No, no... the house was already furnished when I got here." My friend explained. "But I did figure out a way to turn the smoke from the workshop from black to white. Environmentally friendly smog! It was easy once I took into account the density of the chemical compound and the atmospheric pressure. All I had to do was let it flow through a turbine that breaks it down to its chemical makeup, and then reverse the polarity-"

"Yes," I interrupted. "Yes, I saw the smoke. Very impressive."

The curly-haired mechanic nodded, pleased.

"Guess what?" He asked suddenly.

"What?" I replied, bracing myself for another long explanation.

"I've got copies of all of Archimedes's scrolls!" Leo exclaimed excitedly. "Now I can finally figure out how to recreate his inventions!"

My heart sank.

"So... I guess you're pretty happy here, huh?" I glanced away, my voice low. Leo's smile faded. He turned to me, his expression uncharacteristically somber.

"Nico. Look at me." Leo gripped my shoulders. I raised my head, meeting his eyes. "I would trade it all in an instant if I could." He told me seriously. I felt tears prick at my eyes.

"Then why don't you?" I demanded, wiping my tears angrily. "I could bring you back like I did with Hazel..." As soon as I said the words, I knew it wouldn't work. Returning a soul from the Fields of Asphodel? Easy. Elysium? Impossible. The two realms of the afterlife were very different. Leo's house was here, which meant his soul was eternally bound to Elysium.

My anger quickly faded into guilt. Leo had died for the quest, and I was trying to deny him eternal paradise for my own selfish reasons. I averted my eyes, suddenly ashamed.

"I'm sorry." I managed. Leo looked crestfallen.

"No, I'm sorry." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

I looked up, startled. "You? What for?"

"I was selfish." Leo's voice was choked with emotion. I opened my mouth to object, but he held up his hand. "To storm or fire the world must fall." The mechanic recited.

"I don't understa-" I began, but Leo cut me off.

"The world must _fall_." He repeated. "Worlds falling is generally a bad thing. I'm the fire, which means that there was a possibility I was going to make the world fall." Leo swallowed. "The last son of Hephaestus who did what I can do caused the Great Fire of London. Kids like me are just bad news."

I finally grasped what he was implying.

"Leo, you can't- you don't seriously think... no. Just, no." I was at a loss for words. "You are a _hero_, Leo."

The son of Hephaestus smiled at me sadly.

"Only because I chose to be." He murmured. "I chose this death because I was scared I was going to mess things up again." As he spoke, Leo pulled a few small gears from his pocket and began fiddling with them. "The war with the Romans was my fault."

"No, it was the eidolons." I said firmly.

"I couldn't stop them." Leo responded miserably.

"Neither could Percy or Jason." I pointed out.

The thought seemed to cheer Leo up, only slightly. His face fell again. "Oh man, Percy and Jason... tell them I'm sorry... I forced the prophecy on them."

I stared at Leo in confusion.

"The storm." My friend repeated. "Ocean and sky. Percy and Jason. They're the storm. Whatever _'the world must fall' _means, it's on them now." He explained regretfully. I shook my head.

"Leo, maybe you're misinterpreting this. Maybe _'the world must fall'_ doesn't mean literally. Maybe... maybe it's a good thing." I offered hopefully. Leo shrugged, but I could tell he wasn't convinced.

"Maybe. But whatever it means, they're going to be the ones to fulfill it." My friend told me. I could see there was some truth to his words. The prophecy said 'to storm _or_ fire', and now only the storm was left.

We were silent for a moment, the only noise coming from Leo's robotic creations.

"Here, I can do good." Leo said quietly. "I can build things, not destroy them. Your dad said he'd give me a messenger so I can report my findings to Cabin 9 back at camp. Anonymously, of course."

The mechanic spread his arms, gesturing to the high-ceiling room.

"This house is infinite! I can always keep creating and inventing. Who knows what I'll do?" The smile was back, but it wasn't his usual troublemaker grin. It was a genuine smile that radiated pure happiness. I could see that this is what he was meant to do.

I returned his smile.

"You're gonna do some incredible things." I told him sincerely. Leo studied me.

"So are you." He replied, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"I promise you, I'm going to stop this war." I swore, determined. Leo grinned. I saw the spark return to his eyes.

"Yeah! Go teach those Romans a lesson! And then make peace with them!" Leo frowned, rubbing his chin. "No, wait... go use diplomacy to teach them a peaceful lesson! Wait..." The mechanic furrowed his brows. "Do what you gotta do to end this war." He decided finally. "And send the Romans my regards!" Leo added impishly.

I clapped my hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, I will." I promised seriously.

My friends expression softened. "Take care of yourself, okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'll try my best." I told him.

Leo gave me a thumbs up. "Right on, dude! And hey, come and visit me sometime?" The mechanic asked me, tapping my visitor's pass. "I may not be good with organic life forms, but I need a break from the machines every once in a while." He joked.

"Definitely." I replied.

Leo and I walked back to the front door. I noticed it had an intricate set of locks and electronic keypads. My friend turned to me sternly. "No peeking." He ordered.

I obeyed, covering my eyes. I heard heavy bolts turning and high-pitched beeping. Finally, I heard Leo swing the door open.

"Okay, you're good." He affirmed. I opened my eyes and stepped outside, squinting against the sudden brightness. Leo leaned against the doorframe casually. "So.. see ya soon?" My friend asked.

"Yeah. Real soon." I grinned. Leo waved and closed the door.

My walk through Elysium was different this time. I moved with a purpose, my gaze determined. People stared after me as I went, wondering what I was doing. I crossed over the threshold of Elysium, back into the Underworld. I tugged my visitor's pass off and handed it to Greg the security guard, who beamed at me.

"Hello! How was your-"

"Sorry Greg," I interrupted. "No time to talk." I brushed past the guard's station, heading deeper into the Underworld.

"I'm late for a battle."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Sup', readers? Sorry this one's late, been working out some personal issues. Anywho, this chapter revisits our dear Annabeth. Next chapter will focus on Percy and company, who are gearing up for an epic battle! The next few chapters are gonna be _intense_! Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys are too kind! Seriously. It's like... I don't know what to say! P.S. I'm going to apologize in advance for the lack of paragraphs.  
**

**Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy chapter ten! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Ten

**Annabeth's POV**

I don't know how long I was in my cabin, but at some point I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was in a nightmare.

It started out like all my others did, with me and Percy dangling over Tartarus. The pit was just as I remembered it, and the even though I was dreaming, the fear was very real. I was being pulled in by my ankle, and the pain was excruciating.

_It's just a dream_. I told myself.

"Percy, let me go." I heard myself saying, my voice full of exhaustion. "You can't pull me up." Percy glanced down, and then I knew something was wrong.

His eyes were empty.

There was no life in them at all. They were cold, and cruel, and just so _hollow_... with a shudder, I realized they had looked like this back at the Doors of Death, with the Romans.

Percy tilted his head at me.

"Okay." He said, his voice devoid of emotion. Percy let go of my hand.

I fell into Tartarus alone, screaming.

As I disappeared into the abyss, my dream changed.

I stood on a hill, overlooking an empty valley. The tall grass swayed gently with the wind. I was alone. The only sound was my own steady breathing. I scanned my surroundings, wondering why I was here, when it hit me.

This was Camp Halfblood.

I could see the layout of the camp in my mind, but everything was gone. I could see Thalia's tree at the top of Halfblood Hill, but the Golden Fleece wasn't shimmering in the branches like it usually was. There was no sleeping dragon curled up around the trunk.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Grass and dirt shifted to make an image; the sleeping face of a woman.

Gaea.

I reached for my knife, but it wasn't there. The Earth goddess' voice spoke in my mind.

'_Poor child... you've been through so much, all for_ _nothing'._ She purred._ 'This is the future. Your future.'_

"No!" I cried, stumbling backwards.

'_Your friend's sacrifice was in vain. You are doomed to failure. Nothing has changed.'_

"Shut up!" I shouted, covering my ears in an attempt to block out her voice.

'_You can give up now and prevent further suffering..._' Gaea offered. '_Spare the one you love from more pain..._'

The dream altered.

Camp Halfblood was burning to the ground. Romans crossed swords with Greeks, fighting among the chaos. Percy, battle-worn and bloodied, dueled a purple shirted Roman. The pair of demigods spun at dizzying speeds as they jabbed and parried each other's blades. Percy swung at the Roman, who had to twist to avoid the deadly weapon. As he did, I saw his face and gasped.

It was Jason.

"No..." My vision swam. The battle cries of the warring half bloods faded as the scene shifted.

I saw Manhattan reduced to rubble. Mortals screamed in terror, fleeing from an unseen enemy. Percy was there. He was pulling me along by my hand, yelling for me to hurry.

"Come on, we don't have much time-"

Thunder cracked. Suddenly, the ground in front of Percy split open. Unable to stop, he fell forward into the chasm. Percy managed to grab a ledge, his other hand extending towards me.

"Annabeth!" He cried. I reached to help him, but the rock Percy was holding onto crumbled. He fell. "ANNABETH!"

"PERCY!" I screamed helplessly. The earth opened up beneath me, swallowing me. The dream changed.

"Annabeth." My father glared at me coldly. "You're no daughter of mine." He growled. I tried to speak, but no words came. "You're a failure." He spat. My father turned and walked away, leaving me alone.

'_This is your future.' _

I was alone in a graveyard. Tombstones surrounded me. The smell of freshly turned earth reached my nose. I knelt by the nearest headstone and peered at the words.

'Percy Jackson.'

The ground rumbled, and a skeletal hand emerged from the dirt, clawing its way above ground. It's head broke the surface, and I screamed.

It was Percy.

Next to me, another grave began to tremble. The words engraved on the tombstone were unmistakable.

'Nico di Angelo.'

More skeletons rose from the earth, each resembling my friends.

'Hazel Levesque. Frank Zhang.'

I tried to run, but my feet couldn't move.

'Jason Grace. Piper McLean.'

They grabbed at me, dragging me underground.

'Leo Valdez.'

As I sank into the dirt, the last thing I saw was a tombstone.

'Annabeth Chase.'

_'Annabeth...' _

My dream shifted. Images raced in front of me, one after the other.

Demons with twisted faces.

A chessboard with two white pawns facing an entire army.

_'Blood will spill on the ancient stones...'_

The Athena Parthenos glowered down at me.

Monsters erupted from the Underworld.

I was sitting next to Percy on a hill that overlooked New Rome. Our fingers were intertwined.

"Annabeth..."

Percy turned to face me. His eyes were empty, dark pits.

"Annabeth."

Suddenly Percy disintegrated into dust, blown away by the wind.

'_I will awake...' _

The Doors of Death closed.

"NO!" I cried, beating my fists on the doors.

"ANNABETH!"

My eyes flew open, and I jolted in bed. I was back in my room on the Argo II. I was safe. Reyna was by my side, her eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" She asked me. I took a shuddering breath, blinking rapidly to keep myself from crying.

"W-what are you doing here?" I managed, a tear sliding down my cheek. I realized I was shaking. Reyna's eyebrows were creased with worry.

"I came in to check on you, but you were asleep. I was going to leave, but then you started crying... murmuring things in your sleep. I tried to wake you..." The Praetor trailed off. She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to ask you again, are you okay? And don't say you are, because you're obviously not." Reyna said seriously.

I shook my head, biting my lip.

"No. N-no, I'm not okay." I admitted, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Reyna ventured. I shook my head quickly. The Roman raised her eyebrow disbelievingly. I swallowed hard before nodding, a sob escaping me. I described my dream. All of it. The words just rushed out. I couldn't stop if I tried.

When I was done, I glanced at Reyna anxiously. I had all but poured my heart out. I had even wound up telling Reyna about my fight with my mom. I suddenly wished I could take it all back.

The Praetor exhaled slowly.

"I'm sorry." She told me, her voice sincere. I looked up, startled. "I know that probably means nothing, coming from me, but I am truly sorry." Reyna sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Nico was right. Everything's a mess." I was shocked at the bitterness in her tone. "We played right into Gaea's hands."

I wasn't used to seeing Reyna look so dejected.

"Hey... don't give up." I urged. "We can still fix this."

"How?" Reyna demanded. "Right now, my legion is terrorizing your home because of something _Gaea_ did!"

I flinched, remembering the image I had seen of Camp Halfblood in flames.

"Well, that's true, but it's not too late to make things right." I told her. "We can still beat the Giants if we work together. We're all demigods. We shouldn't be fighting."

"I fear it is too late for peace." Reyna said quietly. I set my jaw determinedly.

"Reyna, listen to me. We can do this. If our camps work together, we can use the Athena Parthenos to defeat Gaea."

The Praetor gazed at me sadly.

"I hope you are right..." Reyna told me. I sighed.

"Me too."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Howdy! I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I also have some bad news. Dance is starting up for me, as well as my homeschool group (we begin early August) so I won't be able to update as frequently as I have been. I will try my best to update at least once a week on Friday or over the weekends. **

**As always, thanks for the reviews! I love the feedback, and am glad you're enjoying the story! **

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy chapter eleven! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

**Percy's POV**

Once the excitement had died down, the senior counselors gathered in the Rec Room of the Big House.

I noticed that Malcolm was representing the Athena cabin, and my heart ached. I sat down at the head of the ping pong table, scanning the faces of the assembled campers. Their expressions ranged from scared and anxious to determined and hopeful.

After everyone was seated, Clarisse stood.

"Alright, before we get down to business, I'm sure everyone is _dying_ to hear what happened to Percy." The daughter of Ares rolled her eyes, but I could hear a thin layer of curiosity in her voice. A few of the counselors murmured in agreement, turning to me expectantly. I cleared my throat, suddenly self-conscious.

"Um, okay... I'll try and give you the short version."

So I told them how I had woken up at the Wolf House and found my way to Camp Jupiter. I described my battle at the river where I met Frank and Hazel. I briefly explained how Mars had shown up during the war games and given me, Frank, and Hazel a quest. I talked quickly, sometimes stumbling over my words, but nobody interrupted me.

I shortly described the quest to Alaska, where we freed Thanatos and defeated the giant Alcyoneus before heading back to Camp Jupiter and killing Polybotes.

Clarisse whistled slowly.

"I hate to say it, but I'm impressed." She admitted grudgingly, her arms folded. "But what happened when we sent the Argo II to go pick you up?" Clarisse asked, her brows furrowed. "Piper told me eidolons possessed Leo and fired on Camp Jupiter."

Some of the campers gasped at hearing this. I nodded, sighing.

"Yes, it's true. We barely made it out alive." _'Some of us didn't'_ I added mentally. As if she could read my thoughts, Nyssa from the Hephaestus cabin stood up.

"Before you say anything else, where are Annabeth, Hazel, and Leo?" She demanded. Piper flinched. Jason put his arm around her comfortingly. Frank glanced away.

I ran my hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. "I'm getting to that. Let me explain what happened after we escaped from Camp Jupiter." It was more of a plea. Nyssa studied me before nodding tersely.

I went on to tell them about our adventures during our journey to Rome. I managed to get it all out in a few minutes. Finally, I came to the part where Arachne's lair began to crumble.

"This strand of web was wrapped around Annabeth's ankle, and Arachne was pulling her down... into... you know." I swallowed. "Tartarus." The room was deathly quiet. "She was sliding closer towards the chasm, so I grabbed her hand and tried to pull her free, but I had lost hold of my sword. We went over the edge."

My voice cracked. I stopped, tears forming in my eyes. I blinked them away and took a shaky breath.

"I managed to grab a ledge, but the weight on her ankle was getting heavier." I wanted to stop. Just shut my mouth and stop talking. This was very personal stuff. But I continued anyway.

"She... she told me to let go, let her fall. But I couldn't do that!" I gazed at the others, willing them to understand. "I just... couldn't. It was insane, right?" I wanted them to agree with me. But right now, the other counselors were just staring at me uncomprehendingly. I sighed heavily.

"We fell in together. Into Tartarus."

The silence was deafening. Several of the counselors exchanged glances, and I could see their opinion of me change, right then and there. They would never see me the same way again. Now, I was somebody to be pitied. I was the poor hero who fell into Tartarus, and they were scared of what it might have done to me. Some of them looked guarded. Others avoided my eyes.

Clarisse spoke up.

"What happened next?" She prompted gently. Wait, _gently_?! I grit my teeth. Since when was Clarisse gentle? Oh, great, now she was treating me like I was made of glass. Something that could break at any time. I was the same! I was the same old Percy! I was strong, I got through it. We both did. But now they would always worry about me, always treat me like I was fragile.

When I answered, my voice was bitter.

"We traveled through Tartarus to the Doors of Death."

Clarisse's eyes widened.

"But... how-"

"Don't." I cut her off. "Just don't. We survived. We're fine. End of story." I sat back down, my jaw set. Tension filled the room. I could see Clarisse wanted to argue, but she didn't. That made me even more upset. Normally, she wouldn't have held back, especially where I was concerned. But now she wasn't. Now, she saw me differently and acted accordingly.

Before I could say anything, Jason stood suddenly.

"I suppose I'll tell our side, then." He glanced at me quickly. I just shrugged my shoulders, like _go ahead_. Jason explained how Nico had led him, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo to the Doors of Death. He told them about how they battled Gae's forces all the way and dealt with sabotage by the Earth goddess, and the Roman's interference.

Even though everyone was listening intently to his story, I could feel some of them cast looks my way every now and then. I stared at the ping-pong table, my arms crossed.

Jason stopped when he reached the part at the Doors of Death. He looked at me, apprehensive.

"Do you want me to...?" He trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'll do it." I responded indifferently. I turned to the other campers. "Annabeth and I met them on the other side. We realized that the Doors needed to be shut before the Romans got there, so I tried to close the doors. Alone." My voice had a hard edge to it.

"But then Leo did it." I said simply. There was a pause as the other demigods tried to grasp what I was saying.

"Wait... you mean that Leo..." Nyssa paled. "Oh, Gods..."

I nodded grimly.

"Yes. Leo closed the Doors of Death. I couldn't stop him." Now, the bitterness in my voice was directed at myself. How could I have been so weak? I should have closed them myself. I should have been the one to die.

Oh, wonderful. Now you're pitying me too, aren't you?

Nyssa began to cry. A few of the other campers who had gotten to know Leo fairly well started crying too. Only Clarisse looked unaffected, her emotions hidden behind a mask. My guess is that Piper already told her this. I paused, allowing time for the other campers to absorb this information. After a few minutes, Clarisse signaled for me to proceed.

"And then the Romans showed up." I continued. "Long story short, Reyna promised not to kill us, Nico shadow traveled to the Underworld, and I learned what the Romans were doing here. So Jason, Piper, Frank, and I escaped. Annabeth and Hazel stayed behind. They were too injured to fight, and the Romans had a medic."

"And here we are." I finished, gazing at the gathered half bloods. "I know this is a lot to take in, but right now we have to put our feelings aside and focus on surviving the Roman's next attack." I knew that I was being insensitive, but we had more pressing matters to attend to, like the Roman army camped on our front door.

A depressed silence settled itself over the group of half bloods. Connor and Travis Stoll from the Hermes cabin were uncharacteristically somber. Malcolm looked distressed at the fact that Annabeth, his half-sister, was in the Roman's custody. I didn't blame him.

Clovis, the son of Hypnos, was actually awake for once, which could be interpreted as either encouraging or worrying. Usually, he only stayed conscious when we were in serious danger.

I bit my lip, sighing.

"Guys, come on. We've been in worse situations, right? We can do this." I tried to sound upbeat. "Jason," I addressed the son of Jupiter. "When will they attack next?"

"Dawn." He answered. Clarisse nodded in agreement.

"Okay, and what time is it now?" I glanced around the room.

"Almost dawn." Will Solace from the Apollo cabin spoke up. If possible, the mood grew darker. My forced smile faded. Obviously, they weren't going to cheer up. So I dropped the hopeful act and leaned forward on the ping-pong table.

"Listen," I said, my voice low. "I'm not going to lie, we're in trouble here. But I didn't survive Tartarus to stop now." I fixed each of the counselors with what I hope was a confident look. "Leo didn't die for us to quit. He believed in us. He believed in the quest. He believed we'd get through this, and we will."

"One way or another, this war between us and the Romans ends _now_." I said firmly. My little pep talk seemed to have its intended effect. The demigods looked determined and motivated. And perhaps just a little bit hopeful.

Suddenly, there was a shout of surprise from outside. My hand immediately went to Riptide. I hurried outside the Big House, expecting to see Roman legionaries, but instead I saw a friendly face.

"Nico?"

The son of Hades was leaning against the side of the Big House, looking fatigued.

"Hey, Perce." He greeted me, giving me a faint smile. Nico glanced at the rapidly lightening sky in confusion. "Wow, is it already that late? Time sure flies in the Underworld..."

I approached my friend curiously.

"You okay?" I asked him, noticing he was paler than usual. Nico waved me off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just let me catch my breath..." He straightened, his hand resting on the handle of his sword.

"So... how'd it go?" I questioned him, shifting my weight anxiously. Nico met my eyes.

"He's happy." Nico told me seriously. "I promise I'll explain everything else later, but the bottom line is he's happy."

I smiled half-heartedly.

"Good." I was prevented from saying more by the sound of a horn blowing. Nico and I glanced at each other before racing to the top of Half Blood Hill. We were greeting by the sight of over a hundred Roman campers in armor marching up the hill, weapons drawn.

I heard my friends come up behind me. Jason stood to my right, his jaw set. Piper was beside him, gripping Katoptris. Frank nodded at me before morphing into an enormous grizzly bear.

Nico stood on my left. The son of Hades slowly drew his Stygian Iron blade.

"You up for a battle, Perce?" He asked coyly. I grinned.

"Ready when you are."

Together, we charged.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Hiya, readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I did a lot of research for it. I really hope it's up to par; I haven't written a huge battle scene like this before. For the people who reviewed, you guys are amazing! Thank you so much! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO or HoO series or characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy chapter twelve! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Twelve

**Percy's POV**

I could tell this wasn't going to be easy.

The Romans were marching up the hill in a tight formation, with their shields locked together. I tried to find an opening, but they were holding firm. They pressed us back, forcing their way up the hill towards camp.

Thinking quickly, I swung at the Roman's legs, knocking them off their feet. The reaction was almost like a domino effect as the legionnaires fell back into each other, sliding down the hill.

"Nice one!" Nico said appraisingly, raising his black sword as he moved in.

We surged forward, taking advantage of the Roman's temporary vulnerability. I managed to disarm two legionnaires before the Romans recovered themselves.

But the damage had already been done. Now that Nico and I were behind their lines, the Romans dropped their formation. Legionnaires charged towards me, spears bristling.

I countered the first strike with Riptide and rammed into the Roman's shield, throwing him off balance. Before he could steady himself, I struck his helmet with my sword hilt. The legionnaire crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Nico, cover me!" I called, raising Riptide against an Imperial gold blade.

"On it!" The son of Hades spun to block a spear before kicking the Roman in the chest, knocking him into his fellow legionnaires.

Nico and I fought back to back. We twisted and jabbed, parried and countered like a well-oiled machine, perfectly in sync.

The sounds of battle faded until the only sound I could hear was the blood roaring in my ears. My vision tunneled. I was completely focused on my opponent.

Block, swing, twist, strike, kick. Next opponent. Stay alert, stay moving.

Years of battle training kicked in, and my instincts took over. I slashed and dodged, ducking and rolling to avoid spears and swords. Nico and I plowed through the Roman's lines, making openings for our fellow Greek campers to advance.

Just when I was feeling like we were winning, the Romans regrouped.

"Third Cohort, to me!" A centurion screamed. The legionnaires withdrew from their various skirmishes and grouped together. "Wedge formation!" The centurion ordered. The Roman demigods shifted to form a wedge shape before marching back up the hill.

The Romans drove their way through our troops, breaking up our own formations. The wedge of legionnaires pushed between me and Nico, knocking me to the right. When I recovered myself, Nico was gone.

"Nico!" I yelled over the warring demigods, scanning the sea of faces.

"Percy!" Nico was on the other side of the Roman's formation. I tried to move towards him, but there were too many people. The son of Hades vanished beneath the legionnaires.

Suddenly, I heard a thud behind me. I turned to see Clarisse standing behind a collapsed Roman legionnaire.

"Watch it, Prissy! He almost took your head off!" The daughter of Ares scowled at me. I grinned.

"Thanks, I owe you one." I told her.

"You can grovel later, we've got company!" Clarisse pointed to an approaching squadron of legionnaires.

I gripped Riptide, stepping forward to meet the Roman's attack.

Clarisse and I fought side by side. Unsurprisingly, Clarisse was an excellent fighter, better than I remembered. Unfortunately, our opponents were just as skilled. And we were outnumbered.

I don't remember how it happened, but at some point I must've let my guard down, because white hot pain shot through my side.

I managed to whirl around and disarm my attacker, rendering him unconscious. The cut wasn't deep; his sword only grazed me. But the wound still stung.

Just then, I heard the last thing you wanted to hear from your enemy.

"FIRE!"

Several catapults fired simultaneously, sending flaming projectiles over the hill and into Camp Halfblood. One of them hit the Big House, and the building caught fire.

Beside me, Clarisse cursed.

"They've hit the Big House. That's where the infirmary is!" She yelled, forcing back the opposing legionnaires.

My stomach turned to ice.

"I'll take care of it. Hold them here!" I turned and raced back towards camp.

I made it to the Big House on adrenaline alone. When I got there, I saw Chiron was dragging wounded campers from the burning building.

His eyes fell on me.

"Percy! The lake!"

I nodded and closed my eyes, trying to ignore everything around me. I took a deep breath, picturing the lake in my mind.

I felt a tugging sensation in my gut.

When I opened my eyes, water was flooding from the lake towards me. I held my hands up and directed the waves onto the Big House, putting out the flames.

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods, Percy." My mentor lifted the injured camper onto his horse half. "I'll handle things here. Go back and help the others." He instructed me.

Despite my growing fatigue and my bleeding side, I turned and headed back towards the battle, desperately hoping that my friends were okay.

* * *

**Clarisse's POV**

Things weren't looking good for us.

The Romans were tough. Not tougher than me of course, but still tough. I probably could've taken them, except their numbers were so huge. Even counting the wood nymphs and satyrs, we didn't break a hundred. And they were over one fifty.

Every Roman I took down was replaced by another one. It was actually getting pretty irritating.

Ever since I broke my second spear, Maimer, while killing a Drakon during the Titan war (awesome story, look it up), I had opted to fight with something a little sturdier.

Like a double bladed battle axe.

So I swung my axe like a pro, (which I was) and incapacitated Roman after Roman. I made sure to knock them unconscious by slamming the flat of my blade against their helmets, really really hard. So don't worry, no killing.

For now.

As a child of Ares, I was completely at ease during battle. Some people are disoriented, confused, panicked, or just plain terrified. But me? Never. I was completely aware of my surroundings.

Jason was up in the air, striking Romans down with lightning. The son of Jupiter flew around like a blonde Superman and bent the winds to his will. Storm clouds gathered as he sent arcs of blazing lightning down onto unfortunate legionnaires, rendering them unconscious.

Frank the Hummingbird Boy was now an African bull elephant. He was keeping the Roman's war elephant at bay, forcing it back and away from camp. I'd seen elephants fight before on Animal Planet documentaries and stuff, but this was nothing like that. The two elephants crashed against each other like two-ton linebackers at a championship game.

Piper was using charm speak, which was the only cool thing about being a daughter of Aphrodite.

"Put down your weapons; we are not your enemies." She ordered firmly, holding her dagger out defensively. The row of Roman demigods about to impale her promptly dropped their weapons and plopped to the ground, their expressions tranquil.

Even though she was a good few yards away from me, Piper's words still had an effect on me. I had to fight down the urge to relinquish my axe and instead focus on the approaching legionnaires.

I would like to say that I cut right through them, no problem. But I didn't. They were skilled, seasoned warriors. They didn't make mistakes, so I couldn't afford to.

I beat them, of course, but it wasn't easy. When the last legionnaire finally fell, I was breathing heavily and possessed several new cuts and bruises.

As my eyes scanned the battlefield for my next opponent, my gaze fell on Piper. Well, more like what was _behind_ Piper.

It was a Roman legionnaire. He was creeping up behind Piper, sword drawn. His ears seemed to be stuffed with cloth, and one look at his torn shirt told me he'd made improvised ear plugs.

I started running towards Piper, opening my mouth to call out a warning, but before I got one word out, the sky darkened. Thunder rolled.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the air filled with electricity.

Out of the clouds came Jason, who swooped down as he fired an arc of lightning at Piper's would-be attacker. The Roman yelped, his armor steaming as electricity coursed through him. He crumpled to the ground.

Piper turned around quickly, her eyes wide.

"Jason? What are you…?" She trailed off, her gaze falling on the unconscious legionnaire. Piper swallowed, gripping her dagger tightly.

Before she could speak again, Jason rushed forward and wrapped her in a hug.

"Are you okay, Pipes?" The son of Jupiter asked, his blue eyes flashing with concern. Piper smiled, gently pushing him away.

"Yes, I'm fine. The Romans are no match for my charmspeak. " Piper gestured to the confused Roman half bloods in front of her. "It seems like no one came prepared, except this guy." She nudged the fallen demigod with her shoe.

"That's a pretty cool party trick, Jason." I said appraisingly, approaching the couple. "Can you do it some more?"

Jason bit his lip.

"Not for much longer. It takes up a lot of energy." He explained. "I might have to-"

Suddenly a shadow swept over us as a figure swooped down, talons extended. We hit the dirt, just barely avoiding the creature's wicked claws. I couldn't see it from my position on the ground, but it's screeching betrayed it's identity.

"Giant eagles!" Jason cursed in Latin. I pulled myself up, scanning the skies. Sure enough, several of the large birds were swooping down among the fighting half bloods, carrying away my fellow campers.

"I've got to stop them." Jason lept into the air, a small whirlwind supporting him. "Be careful!" He called, rising into the sky.

"You too!" Piper glanced at me. "Got a plan?" She asked.

"Yeah." I told her. "Don't get killed by giant eagles."

Piper laughed weakly.

"Good plan." Suddenly her eyes widened. "Clarisse, behind you!"

I turned just in time to avoid being shish-kebabed by a Roman's spear. I snapped the spear in half with my axe and kneed the offender in the stomach before punching her in the face. The legionnaire went out cold.

"Thanks." I glanced back at Piper. "You keep doing what you're doing, and be careful about it." I said seriously. The daughter of Aphrodite nodded.

I brandished my axe and re-entered the battle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I'll try to make this short. I am so sorry for being so late! I'm finally back from visiting my relatives, and I had missed some school so I was ****behind. I feel really bad, especially since you guys broke a hundred reviews on Chapter Twelve! You are really awesome! But it makes me feel worse about the content of this chapter. I'm warning you right now, there will be character death, because it is a war. So be prepared. (Sorry!)**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Thirteen! - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

**Annabeth's POV**

I paced anxiously across the quarter deck.

Reyna stood beside the controls, where a group of Hephae- or Vulcan, demigods were working hard to keep the ship airborne. Every now and then the Argo II jolted unexpectedly. The trireme was hobbling along, making weird grinding noises that worried me.

Nevertheless, we had crossed the Mediterranean in good time. It was close to dawn now. The ship was fast, and I could tell Reyna was pleased with the results.

I stopped pacing and glanced at the flagpole again, making sure the white flag was running. We were about to descend on Camp Halfblood, and we didn't want the Romans to think we were reinforcements. That would just send them into a panic.

My mind and heart raced as I thought about the battle back at camp. So many things could go wrong. What if we landed and the Romans attacked us? What if the Greeks saw the legion, thought we were enemies, and _they_ attacked? What if there was no camp to return to?

"Annabeth."

I was jolted from my thoughts by Hazel.

"Stop worrying so much." The daughter of Pluto was leaning against the mast, her amber eyes searching mine. "You'll go crazy." She said softly.

'Maybe I already have.' I thought to myself. I sighed, running a hand through my tangled hair.

"Look, Hazel, I know you're trying to help, but how can I not worry? It was hard enough for Reyna to convince the legion to help us, but that's only the Second Cohort! There are at least a hundred and fifty Roman campers waging war at my home, and if we show up in a Greek battleship they might get the wrong idea!" I exclaimed, my voice unintentionally rising.

Hazel glanced around the deck quickly. Reyna now stood at the prow, flanked by her automaton hounds. Aside from the Hephae- _Vulcan_ kids manning the controls (or at least trying to), and a few straggling legionnaires, the deck was empty. No one seemed to have noticed my outburst.

My friend approached me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Annabeth, we've faced worse before, right?" She inquired. "I know it seems hopeless, but this is going to work. I can feel it." Hazel told me earnestly.

"But the history between the Greeks and the Romans, _our_ history, it's too much!" I protested. "Centuries of hate and distrust have left us divided. There's nothing we can do to mend it." I glanced away, blinking away tears of frustration.

Hazel gripped my shoulder.

"I know better than anyone that you can't let the past define you."

I looked up, meeting her gaze.

"You can't let it get to you; it'll swallow you whole, and you'll be so overwhelmed that you'll forget to breathe." Hazel's words were filled with hurt, so fresh and real they hit me like an electric shock.

"You can't just accept defeat! If I've learned anything, it's that change is always possible. You know it too, deep down. I've got a feeling this isn't the first time things have looked bleak for you." She guessed.

"Look at me!" Hazel spread her arms, a smile gracing her features. "I was in the Underworld, for God's sake! Here I am; flesh and blood! I got a second chance, I got to _live! _And I'm not gonna give that up so easily." Her eyes softened.

"I've got a family now. Nico, and Jason, and Piper, and Percy, and Frank…" Hazel sighed dreamily.

I coughed. Hazel blinked, shaking her head. The daughter of Pluto grinned at me sheepishly.

"Sorry. But I've also got you, and even Coach Hedge is like a dad to me! Or at least a crazy, over-protective uncle with anger management issues..."

Suddenly the Argo II lurched to the right. Hazel and I stumbled to keep our balance. A few Romans shouted in alarm.

There was a loud grinding sound. I feared we were going to drop out of the sky. But then, the ship righted itself. I whipped around to face the controls.

A Vulcan camper rubbed the back of his neck guiltily, blushing.

"Sorry! These controls are so complex… the tiniest mistake sets them off." He called. Reyna studied him for a moment, her arms crossed and her expression stormy. But after a moment, she shrugged and turned back to the prow.

"Don't let it happen again." She said simply. The Praetor obviously had more important things on her mind.

The Roman nodded and returned to his work, thankful to escape punishment. Hazel and I glanced at each other. I could see her eyes filling with tears, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.

"I never realized how well he ran it." She mumbled, her voice shaking. "I just assumed that all Hephaestus kids could fly stuff like this…"

"Oh, they usually can. Maybe it's just a Vulcan thing." I said offhandedly.

Hazel laughed, a few tears spilling from her eyes.

"So you _do_ have a sense of humor! Alert the presses!" She exclaimed, feigning surprise. After our sudden bout of giggles subsided, we quickly grew somber again. "You know," Hazel began quietly. "His death was my fault."

I gaped at the younger girl.

"How is it possibly your fault?" I demanded. "It was Leo's decision, and his decision alone, remember?"

"But it wasn't!" Hazel cried. "He liked me, okay? A lot. And I thought I liked him. But, it didn't turn out the way we thought it would; he reminded me of my past, but I learned to let go, and move forward. At the Doors, he said he was doing it because he wasn't leaving anyone behind. I can't help but think... if I had wound up with him... he wouldn't have felt so alone, and maybe he wouldn't have stayed."

I didn't know what to say. To put it frankly, I was floored. I mean, I wasn't clueless; I had noticed the feelings between Hazel and Leo, but I had assumed it was nothing more than a brief crush. Hazel had ended up with Frank, and I thought Leo had moved on. Now, I wasn't so sure.

Hazel must've taken my silence for anger, because she began to cry again.

"Oh Gods, I feel s-so horrible! Because if Leo hadn't c-closed them, you and Percy w-would have, and you've both b-b-been through so much already and I-I-"

"Hey."

The steadiness of my voice surprised me. It was a stark contrast to the hurricane of emotions I was feeling. Nevertheless, I pushed on.

"Stop this. Right now." I said, sounding firm but gentle. "You have to stop blaming yourself. I don't think the Gods themselves could've changed Leo's mind."

Hazel met my eyes, her face streaked with tears.

"B-but… I didn't d-do anything! I didn't even v-volunteer to take h-his place! I was too afraid…"

She stared at the ground, biting her lower lip.

"The darkness… it reminded me of my old life. The cave in the mountain, and the Underworld… it was too much. I was paralyzed." Hazel admitted, ashamed.

"Hazel," I began. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. Leo knew what he was doing. He would _never_ ask you to take his place. And he never blamed you. He wouldn't want you blaming yourself." As I talked, I realized I was absolutely positive that my words were true.

The daughter of Pluto studied me, sniffling.

"Well, if I'm going to forgive myself, you've got to forgive yourself too." She resolved, taking me by surprise.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sounding slightly defensive.

"Oh, come on, Annabeth." Hazel chided me. "I may not have known you for long, but I know you well enough to see that you still blame yourself for his death. You still think _you_ should've been the one to close the Doors."

I glanced away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Annabeth, you can't stand there and tell me not to blame myself while you put all the fault on yourself!" She exclaimed. "Please don't blame yourself. Can you do that for me?" Hazel pleaded.

I gave her a small smile.

"I'll try." I answered truthfully. Hazel's golden eyes glowed with warmth.

"Then I'll try, too." She promised, pulling me into a hug. "I'm glad you're here." The smaller girl whispered.

"Me too." I responded, squeezing her tightly. After a couple moments, we broke apart. "I suppose all we can do now is try our best to stop this war…" I sighed.

The daughter of Pluto nodded, opening her mouth to respond, when suddenly a Roman cried out.

"Destination spotted! Camp Halfblood straight ahead!"

We had arrived.

* * *

Hazel and I rushed to the side rail, peering over the edge. The sight that greeted me made my heart sink.

Demigods, both Roman and Greek, fought all along the hillside. Catapults fired flaming projectiles into Camp, and my breathing hitched when I saw a few of the cabins had caught fire.

The Romans hadn't crossed the boundary line yet, but they were close. I heard a crashing sound and turned slightly to see two elephants locked in combat. One wore a bulletproof vest.

"That's Hannibal!" Hazel gripped the rail. "He's on the Roman's side!"

"Who's the other one?" I asked, staring at the warring elephants.

"Frank…?" Hazel breathed, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

As I cast my gaze onto the crowds of fighting campers, one particular skirmish caught my eye.

Nico di Angelo stood on a small hill beside a large crack in the earth. He appeared to be surrounded by warriors, but as the Argo II drew closer, I saw that they were not attacking him. Also, they were skeletons. Apparently, Nico had summoned them from the Underworld.

The son of Hades pressed his hands outward, and the undead swarmed forward to engage the Roman legionnaires. A shiver ran down my spine.

Nico could be terrifying when he wanted too.

The Greek warship touched down, landing rather abruptly. Reyna turned around and quickly took charge. She pointed at all the assembled Romans.

"Back inside, all of you! The Greeks will think us a threat if they see you." She ordered. A few of the legionnaires looked like they wanted to argue, but they wisely thought better of it and shuffled inside. After a couple seconds they all vanished, except for Octavian, who threw Reyna a challenging glare.

Reyna ignored him and turned to me.

"Hazel, Annabeth, come up here next to me." The Praetor instructed us. "We need to get their attention somehow."

We ran up beside her. I gazed at the scene before me, my panic rendering me speechless. It was almost exactly what I saw in my dream.

A feeling of helplessness suddenly overcame me. Now that we were grounded, the battle looked impossibly huge. How could we stop this?

But all my misgivings vanished when I caught sight of Percy.

The son of Poseidon was kicking some serious Roman butt. He was like a whirlwind, fighting with a fierce passion. He bobbed and weaved his way through the Romans, cutting through them like paper.

"PERCY!" I screamed, trying to get his attention.

Somehow, he heard me over the noise. Percy's emerald eyes locked with mine, and even from my distance I saw the grin that spread across his face.

Suddenly, he was racing towards us.

"ANNABETH!" He yelled.

Reyna and Hazel stepped back as Percy reached the ship, swung over the rail, and rushed forward to embrace me.

My lips met his, and for one precious moment, the world melted away.

All too quickly, Percy pulled away and beamed at me.

"You're safe!" He cried, looking dizzy with relief. I swatted him playfully.

"Of course I am, Seaweed Brain." I sniffed. "I can take care of myself."

Percy laughed lightly.

"I know you can, Wise Girl. But it doesn't stop me from worrying." He replied matter-of-factly.

"Ah hem." Reyna coughed. "I hate to interrupt, but we're kind of at war here."

My happy mood evaporated.

"Right." I swallowed. "How do we get their attention?"

Percy looked at me in surprise.

"Well, that's an easy one!" He strode up to the prow of the boat and leaned over the rail. "Hey Festus, can you help us out here?" Percy asked.

Festus growled in response, rising to his full height. The bronze dragon opened his jaws and let out a thundering roar. The boat shook from the vibrations. The sound echoed throughout the valley, and slowly every demigod turned to face us, displaying varied emotions. Even Frank and Hannibal grew silent.

I ducked my head sheepishly.

"The dragon. Of course."

Suddenly the temperature dropped, and Nico di Angelo soundlessly materialized next to me. I jumped at his sudden appearance.

"What's the plan?" He asked quietly, his dark eyes hardened with resolve.

"I don't know." I whispered back.

Reyna approached the prow, standing beside Percy.

"Camp Jupiter!" She called, her tone powerful and commanding. "I stand before you today to order you to _stand down!_"

Disbelief raced through the Roman campers. Several cried out in protest. Reyna held up her hand for silence, and miraculously, they listened.

"Recent events have led me to believe that the Greeks are innocent." She continued. "I have reason to conclude that the attack on New Rome was not the fault of the Greeks, but the work of eidolons; possessing spirits employed by Gaea to turn us against each other." The Praetor's gaze swept over her own troops disdainfully. "It appears she was successful."

Murmurs ran throughout the crowd. I wasn't sure they were all convinced. Reyna seemed to realize this too, because her eyes narrowed.

"For the love of the Gods... if I wasn't speaking the truth, my dogs would have made it apparent." She pointed out.

"How do we know they won't attack you because you're their master?" A Roman demanded.

Before Reyna could respond, Percy hesitantly raised his hand.

"Perhaps I could explain?" He offered. "Your dogs don't seem biased towards me."

Reyna looked down at the crowd, daring someone to object. After nobody did, she nodded for Percy to proceed.

The son of Poseidon addressed the crowd of over two hundred demigods, Greek and Roman alike.

"Listen, I know Romans and Greeks have never trusted each other, but you have to believe me when I say that Camp Halfblood has no quarrel with you." He explained, his words sounding nothing but honest.

"We never wanted to fight. Gaea is too big of a problem for us to consider war on your people. All we wanted was to team up with you and finally end this war. But Gaea anticipated this. She sent eidolons to possess Leo, and made him fire our ship on New Rome."

Percy paused. Every head in the crowd turned to look at Aurum and Argentium. Thankfully, the automaton hounds were silent.

Relief flooded through me. Even though they had terrified me when I first met them, I realized how lucky we were to have the lie-detecting dogs.

After a moment, Percy continued his speech.

"Everything that happened afterwards was purely for the purpose of survival. Annabeth was sent by her mother to seek out the Athena Parthenos, and capture was not an option. She told Annabeth that finding the statue was crucial to the defeat of Gaea. So we had to escape from you back in Fort Sumter. We never meant you any harm."

Once again, all eyes darted towards the silver and gold dogs, met with the same result.

Percy went on to briefly describe our journey in locating the Athena Parthenos. The mood of the crowd shifted from disbelief, to astonishment, and even to sympathy when Percy explained my difficult trek underground.

"After Annabeth defeated Arachne, and we located the Athena Parthenos, we thought we had won. But the cavern began to fall apart, and Annabeth and I fell into Tartarus."

A dark cloud settled itself over the crowd. Fear gripped me as I recalled the painful memory. Nico put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

Percy waited for the Romans to absorb this shocking information before continuing.

"I'm sure many of you heard rumors about how Annabeth and I were traveling through Tartarus to close the Doors of Death from the inside. I can assure you those rumors were true. But in the end, it was Leo Valdez who wound up sacrificing himself to close the Doors of Death."

Several people gasped. Percy stared at the ground for a moment. I felt tears prick at my own eyes. When Percy spoke again, his voice was ragged with pain.

"Leo died. He died for the quest, and to ensure the safety of the world. Now, when monsters die, _they will stay dead_." He said firmly. "Long story short, the Second Cohort showed up shortly afterwards. Jason, Piper, Frank, and I escaped to come here with the intention of stopping this battle. Annabeth and Hazel stayed behind to explain the situation to Reyna."

When I glanced at the crowd, I could see that we had almost swayed their opinion. Weapons were now held limply by idle hands, no longer with murderous intent.

Reyna cleared her throat.

"As you can see, Percy is telling the truth. There is no reason for us to quarrel. Let us put the past behind us, and focus on defeating Gaea, the _real _threat."

They weren't all convinced yet, but I could feel the uncertainty hanging in the air. They were torn. It wouldn't take much for Percy to sway their opinion completely.

"No..."

I turned, perturbed.

Octavian was glaring daggers at Percy, his fists clenched. Before I could register what was happening, the augur drew his sword and rushed towards Percy.

I started to run, opening my mouth to cry out a warning, but Nico was faster.

The son of Hades shadow traveled right in front of Octavian, just before he reached Percy. The Roman augur crashed into Nico, and his momentum carried them both over the side.

Demigods shouted in alarm and backed up quickly to avoid colliding with the two figures. Nico and Octavian rolled down the hill and landed hard. Octavian stumbled to his feet, blinking. But I wasn't focused on him.

I was staring in disbelief at the sword that was imbedded in Nico's side.

Nico's eyes were wide with shock. Blood began to soak through his clothes. The son of Hades looked down at the weapon protruding from his rib cage, uncomprehending.

Suddenly Octavian lunged forward and wrenched the _gladius_ out. Nico cried out in pain, dropping to his knees.

"NICO!" Percy screamed, trying to jump over the railing to aid his friend, but Octavian suddenly shouted.

"Stay where you are!" The augur's voice trembled, and his eyes were wild, like a cornered animal's. "One step closer, and I'll kill him!" He threatened desperately.

Reyna and I had to hold Percy back.

As we watched, horrified, Octavian's face twisted into a cruel grin. Golden light flooded his eyes.

My blood turned to ice.

Octavian shuddered, his movements spasmodic and unnatural. Then he rounded on Nico and hissed.

_"No... not you. The Earth Mother will be displeased..." _Octavian growled in a voice that was not his own.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

"Eidolons..." Percy's eyes were full of terror.

"Impossible!" Hazel cried. She was shaking. "Leo trapped you underground! I saw it!"

The thing that was not Octavian snarled.

_"Did you really think there were only three of us?" _Not-Octavian demanded, gripping his bloodied sword. _"They may have been the strongest of us, but I don't play by the same rules. I am **stealthy**... I bury myself deep inside the mind and influence thoughts and actions. I am **patient**; I bide my time before making my presence known." _

I could tell Reyna was as fearful as I was, but she addressed the eidolon anyways.

"You leave his body right now, or I swear I will kill you." Her voice shook with fury.

The eidolon scowled.

_"I do not fear you. I fear nothing. This body is **mine** to control. You dare not interfere, lest I decide to end the son of Hades."_

Nico's breathing was heavy and irregular. He held his side, crimson blood seeping through and staining his hands.

Not-Octavian circled Nico, his sword inches away from delivering the final blow.

_"Foolish demigods... this body has been in my possession since the 'battle' at Camp Jupiter. His ambition and poor judgement made him an easy target. Surely you didn't think his actions to be his own? No demigod could be as misguided as to attempt to start a war within a war!" _The eidolon cackled.

Octavian glared down at Nico.

_"All your efforts have been pointless. The Earth Mother will triumph. Where are your precious Gods now?" _He taunted.

With great effort, Nico looked up to face his assailant.

"You're... w-wrong..." He gasped, in between shuddering breaths. His face was deathly pale; more so than usual. "You'll n-never win." Nico winced.

Octavian tilted his head, gripping his sword handle.

_"Is that so?" _He hissed, his sword tip hovering dangerously close to Nico's head. _"Perhaps I shall make an example of you!"_

Octavian raised his sword above his head.

_"Any last words, godling?" _

The son of Hades met his attacker's solid gold eyes. Nico's eyes narrowed.

"Leo sends his regards."

Suddenly, Nico pressed his hands into the blood stained grass, and the earth rumbled. With an ear splitting crack, the ground opened up beneath the two figures.

The earth swallowed them whole, leaving nothing but an ugly scar along the hillside.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I promise, that's the last major character death! Probably... (Mua ha ha!) Anyways, that you soooo much for the reviews! You guys are the best! I apologize if I haven't replied to your reviews yet. I'm swamped with schoolwork as it is, and dance eats up my afternoons/evenings. I'll try to respond to as many as I can.**

**Oh, and in other news, I went back and edited the other chapters. I didn't make many big changes, but feel free to go back and read them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HoO, or any of the characters. Or girl scouts.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Fourteen! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

**Percy's POV**

I wrenched free from Annabeth's grip, swung over the railing, and stumbled down the hill.

_No..._

I fell to my knees by the crack in the earth, my fingers tearing at the damp soil.

_Is that blood..?_

It can't be true. It's not possible!

_Nononononono..._

My mind shut down. I think Annabeth cried out, but I wasn't sure. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears. The world around me moved in slow motion, and my vision was blurred with tears.

_NONONONONONONO!_

Someone touched my shoulder, and something in me

snapped.

I lashed out, screaming and swinging blindly. I had to save him! I attacked the ground with renewed vigor, determined to bring Nico back. I clawed at the dirt, crying and shouting nonsense.

I probably looked like a maniac.

I felt strong hands grip me under my arms, pulling me away from the tear in the earth. Panic overcame me. I fought desperately, trying to break free. I could see the distorted images of people coming towards me. I twisted and kicked, snarling like a wild animal.

"NONONONONONO!"

Their voices sounded distant and warped, like I was underwater.

"PERCY! Stop-"

"Somebody go get Chir-"

"We need some help!"

"Clovis! Over here-"

I resisted with all my remaining strength. The wound in my side began to bleed again, but I didn't care.

I don't care.

"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed. My head was pounding, my heart was beating frantically, and I was hyperventilating.

Then everything stopped at once. I smelled the faint scent of warm milk, and my mind grew foggy.

My body went limp as sleep claimed me.

* * *

**Percy's POV**

I opened my eyes, blinking wearily.

As my vision adjusted, I realized I was in the infirmary. The room appeared to be empty, but upon closer examination I noticed many of the beds were occupied. Campers laid motionless on the cots, sporting blood-soaked bandages.

_What happened_?

I struggled to recall recent events. There was a battle... with monsters?

_No, was it a Giant? Wait, no, it was R... Ro... Romans! Yes, Romans. Is it over? Did we win?_

I tried to sit up, but my movements were.. restricted? With a start, I realized my hands and feet were bound to the bed.

_Why am I here? What happened?_

My mind was cloudy as I tried to remember details. I shook my head to clear it, wincing as my temples began to throb. My throat was sore, and my eyes were burning. Maybe I should just go back to sleep...

"Percy?"

A timid voice caught me unawares. I turned my head to see Annabeth sitting quietly on a stool beside my bed. The first thing I noticed was the large bruise on her cheek, like somebody had hit her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her whole demeanor seemed... withdrawn.

This was not like Annabeth.

_Something's wrong... what happened?_

Panic rushed through me, and I began to fight my restraints.

Annabeth drew away from me, flinching.

"Percy, stop!" She cried fearfully.

Something in her voice made me freeze. She sounded... scared. Of me.

Breathing heavily, I sank back into my bed, turning my confused gaze on Annabeth.

"Why am I here?" I croaked, my voice hoarse. "What happened?"

Annabeth would not meet my eyes.

"There was a battle..." She bit her lip. "With the Romans."

_"What happened?"_ I pressed. "Why don't I remember?"

Annabeth swallowed.

"C-Clovis put you t-to sleep..." She stuttered, wiping at her eyes.

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"You w-were... confused, a-and you l-lashed out and t-things were g-getting out of c-control..." As she spoke, Annabeth's hand crept to the bruise on her cheek.

"Annabeth, who did that to you?" I asked. My breathing grew shallow. "Was it me?"

Annabeth glanced away. A fist closed around my heart.

"Why?"

Annabeth didn't answer.

_"Why?!" _I repeated.

Tears spilled from her eyes.

"It w-was an a-accident... you d-didn't know w-what you were d-doing.." She protested weakly.

Every word was like a knife in my heart. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.

"Tell me what happened." I pleaded. _"Please."_

I locked eyes with Annabeth. She held my gaze for a moment, before finally bursting into tears.

"Oh, G-Gods, Percy..." She sobbed. "I'm s-sorry, I'm so s-so sorry... O-Octavian and t-the eidolon.. oh Gods, I'm sorry... It's N-Nico..."

Everything came rushing back to me at once. The battle in the valley, the arrival of the Argo II... Octavian...

_Octavian was going to kill me._

He and Nico went over the railing...

I saw Octavian standing over Nico, holding a bloody sword. His eyes began to glow-

"No!" I cried, squeezing my eyes shut. "Tell me it's not true..."

Annabeth's silence was all the answer I needed.

I began to sob.

* * *

**Leo's POV**

I adjusted my goggles and studied my latest project skeptically.

After I had settled in to Fort Leo, I'd decided the first thing I should do was focus on Archimedes's scrolls. Right now, I was working on a prototype sphere, which kinda resembled a lopsided bowling ball.

Frowning, I picked up my wrench and began to loosen some bolts. I could tell I'd need to completely redo the inner frame. But before I could start peeling away the metal layers, a bell chimed throughout my workshop.

I sat up from my workbench, eyebrows raised. I wasn't expecting anyone. Maybe it was a Girl Scout? Or a traveling vacuum salesman?

I seriously hoped it was a magical Girl Scout Cookie Delivery salesperson. After all, it wouldn't be Elysium without Tagalongs.

Pulling my goggles off, I hopped from my seat and traipsed out of my workshop. I strolled through the large halls of my awesome fortress, automatically knowing which way to go. I whistled as I turned into the foyer, my arms swinging by my sides.

I reached the front door and quickly unbolted all my intricate locks. I know there's no need for security in Elysium, but c'mon! They're cool!

Finally, the door clicked and swung open, revealing my surprise visitor.

Nico di Angelo.

I grinned at my friend, happy to see him but still curious. Something seemed... different.

"Hey, dude! Wassup?" I welcomed Nico into my house, closing the door behind him. "When I said 'visit me soon', I didn't mean in an hour!" I said jokingly. "I mean, I know I'm awesome, but why so soon?" I asked.

Nico looked up at me, smiling half-heartedly.

My heart dropped into my stomach. I pulled Nico into a hug, my throat constricting as I suddenly realized what was wrong.

Nico wasn't wearing his visitor's badge.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Wow! We broke a hundred and fifty reviews! That's amazing! Plus, over 10,000 views? Are you guys for real? Thank you sooo much for your support! Sorry if this seems a little short. I'm a firm believer in quality rather than quantity. Oh, and for this chapter, I know Tyson usually sleeps in Cabin Three, but let's say he had to go report the status of the war to Poseidon. For the sake of this chapter, Percy had to be alone in Cabin Three. You'll see why shortly.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HoO, or the characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Fifteen! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

**Reyna's POV**

We held a vigil at the campfire that night.

The Greeks made shrouds for all the campers that had perished during the battle. I counted twenty in all, and my chest tightened uncomfortably.

Nico's shroud was made with shimmering black fabric, as dark as night itself. It was adorned with a skull and crossbones insignia.

And even though there were still mixed opinions about him, a shroud was made for Octavian. It was white fabric wrapped with a silken golden sash; the color of Apollo.

We huddled around the campfire, Greeks and Romans alike, and burned the shrouds in silence. Hazel cried quietly the whole time as Frank held her.

After Chiron had cleared Percy to leave the infirmary, the son of Poseidon retreated to his cabin. That was hours ago, and he hasn't emerged once. Not even Annabeth could get him to come out.

The daughter of Athena was completely silent, staring at the flames with an unreadable expression.

Across the campfire, Jason sat beside Piper. Every time I looked at the two, a bitter taste filled my mouth. I hated myself for being concerned with such petty affairs. Jason and I were never anything more than fellow Praetors. It was not my place to worry about his love life, especially after everything that had happened.

Still... I couldn't help but feel that... maybe-

No.

That was in the past. Right now, we were at war, and the whole fate of the world hinged on our victory. I had to push my feelings aside.

As always...

I was brought out of my brooding by the sound of light hoofbeats. I looked up and saw Chiron, the Greek camp's 'activities director'. From the waist up, he was a kindly looking old man with wise brown eyes and spectacles, but from the waist down he was a white stallion. Many of my legionnaires were uncomfortable around him. The centaurs_ we_ knew were of a different breed...

"Greetings." He said softly, his brown eyes filled with concern. "I wanted to make sure you were alright..."

I sighed, glancing away.

"I am the leader of an army during a time of war. How well do you imagine I am faring?" I asked, my voice slightly bitter. "My entire legion was driven to battle by an overly-ambitious fool, manipulated by the enemy to drive us to destroy each other. This war between us Romans and you Greeks was started by a misunderstanding. Well, that 'misunderstanding' has cost people their lives." I gazed at the ashes floating in the air. They curled upwards with the smoke of the fire; remnants of the lives lost.

We were silent for a moment.

"You're welcome to sleep in the Big House tonight." Chiron said gently. "We have many spare rooms available."

I was hesitant to accept his offer. I knew there would still be some doubts among the legion, and I had to make sure nobody tried to start anything. I'd probably have to keep a close eye on Octavi-

Oh. Right.

I swallowed and forced a gracious smile.

"Thank you. It would be wise for the legion to see their leader accepting your hospitality." I said monotonously, bowing my head respectfully.

Chiron studied me, and I him.

In his eyes, I could see the pain and tiredness of an old soul, who'd seen centuries of suffering he had no control over. He'd seen a thousand lives begin and end, each of them dear students and friends of his. In Chiron I saw a fatherly figure, who cared for each of his students like his own children. In that moment, I wondered how he could deal with it all. If I was in the same situation, I'd have broken long ago.

Chiron smiled faintly, and I wondered if he already had.

* * *

**Reyna's POV**

I was jolted awake by the sound of screaming.

Two voices cut through the heavy night, one high, the other lower. They harmonized together in a morbid duet, loud enough to wake the dead. The bone-chilling cries pierced my very being, sending shivers down my spine and ice through my veins.

Immediately I was out of bed, sword in hand, and charging out of the Big House, barefoot in my night clothes. I might have found the situation comical if I wasn't so terrified.

I raced across the dew-covered grass, my heart pounding. My breath hitched when I realized where the screaming was coming from.

The Athena cabin.

I propelled myself towards my destination, a hundred horrible scenarios flashing through my mind. Was it a monster attack? Agents of Gaea? Had my own legionnaires turned traitor during the night?

Just as I reached the door, the high-pitched screaming stopped. When I burst into the cabin, I was greeted by the sight of Annabeth curled into a ball on her bunk; her body shaking with sobs. The other Athena campers were huddled around her bed, murmuring words of comfort with wide, concerned eyes.

"What's going on?" I demanded worriedly, glancing around the room for any signs of trouble.

Annabeth looked up at me, her face streaked with tears.

"N-nightmares." She whispered.

My heart immediately swelled with sympathy. I had not forgotten my conversation with Annabeth on the Argo II.

I was about to respond when the screaming started again. A few of the Athena campers flinched. I glanced at Annabeth questioningly.

Annabeth's grey eyes widened, her face pale.

"Percy..." She breathed. "He doesn't have anyone to wake him up..."

Without waiting for another word, I turned and bolted from the cabin. As I ran, I could see a few confused campers stumbling out of their cabins, looking around questioningly. I didn't spare them a second glance, continuing towards my objective.

The Poseidon cabin.

I flung the door open without hesitation.

Percy was writhing in his bed, fighting against an invisible enemy. The son of Poseidon's screams were strangled as he twisted around in the tangled sheets. Percy was thrashing around so violently, that I heard the bed creak, and I feared it's legs would soon give out.

"Percy!" I shouted, approaching him cautiously. He was striking out forcefully, and I wasn't particularly eager to acquaint my face with his fist. "Percy, wake up!"

He couldn't hear me. I'd have to get closer.

I inched towards him, trying in vain to wake him.

Percy was screaming incoherently, convulsing around madly. I tried to get close enough to shake him awake, but he swung his arm my way, and I had to duck to avoid a black eye.

I dropped my sword and lunged forward, gripping the bed sheets and yanking them, and Percy with them, right off the bed.

The son of Poseidon hit the floor with a muffled thump. The screaming stopped.

Percy sat up, glancing around wildly, his haunted eyes ringed with black circles.

"Annabeth..." Percy murmured, dazed. "Annabeth?" He peered at me, breathing heavily.

I caught my own breath and shook my head.

"No, Percy. It's me, Reyna. You were dreaming." I told him gently, my heart finally returning to it's normal pace.

Percy's sea green eyes widened with realization, then horror.

"Oh, gods..." He began to cry, burying his face in his hands. "I c-couldn't save t-them..." Percy whimpered.

"Who?" I asked, confused.

Percy looked up at me, his lower lip trembling.

"Bianca. Zoë. Lee. Castor. Beckendorf. Michael. Silena. Ethan. Luke. Plus, Olympus knows how many others..." His shoulders began to shake. "Then Leo, and now Nico..." Percy shut his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his face. "I promised Bianca I'd protect him..."

I didn't have the faintest idea who these people were, but it was obviously a sensitive topic to Percy.

"What if it's Annabeth next?" Percy whispered hoarsely. "My fatal flaw is loyalty to my friends, and the world just seems intent on taking them all away!"

Hesitantly, I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, Percy... I don't know what happened in the past, but you know you're a hero, right?"

Percy laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, well what good does that do me if I can't save the people who matter most?" He demanded. "Why do the Gods insist that I live to watch everyone I care about die?"

I didn't have an answer for him. So I just held him while he cried.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Hiya, everyone! Once again, so sorry for the delay! I had to entertain company all day yesterday. Thanks for being patient, and for leaving reviews! In other news, if anyone read my short one-shot series called Psych, it will be made into a full length fic, but probably not for another few weeks. I'm in the planning stage, outlining chapters and such. And speaking of chapters, next one WILL have Jason's POV in it. I guess I haven't written him yet because I don't know how. I need to brush up on Lost Hero and figure that boy out. Until then, we have some Percy/Annabeth/Reyna angst. Hooray!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series or the HoO series. Or the band Lifehouse and their songs.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Sixteen! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

**Reyna's POV**

I opened the door of the Poseidon cabin and was greeted by a rabble of disheveled campers.

The demigods wore an odd mixture of pajamas and hastily fastened armor, some holding weapons, others not. Many of them looked asleep on their feet, swaying gently from side to side as they focused their tired eyes on me.

"It's alright." I addressed the small crowd. "False alarm. Everything's fine."

A few of the campers grumbled, stalking back towards their cabins in hope of reclaiming some of their missed sleep. Some lingered, their eyes flickering towards the open door curiously.

"Go on." I pressed, my eyes narrowing. "Nothing to see here. Get back to bed."

The demigods turned and hurried back towards their sleeping quarters, cabins for the Greeks and tents for the Romans. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I turned back towards the cabin, poking my head through the open doorway.

"Are you going to be okay, Percy?" I asked. The son of Poseidon smiled at me faintly from his spot on his bunk.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He told me, his voice wavering slightly. I raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

Percy caught my expression.

"Reyna, I'm fine,_ really_." He insisted.

I studied him.

"If you're certain..." I began hesitantly. Percy nodded earnestly.

"I am." He promised.

"Alright then..." I started to close the door.

"Reyna?" Percy called. I peered back in.

"Yes?"

Percy rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes downcast. "Um, thanks... for everything." He glanced up at me, offering a small smile, which I returned.

"You're welcome." I told him. "Goodnight."

"Night."

I closed the door quietly.

* * *

On the way back to the Big House, I stopped by the Athena cabin to check on Annabeth. When I opened the door, I saw that her bed was empty. The other demigods appeared to be getting ready for bed again. One of the Athena campers, Malcolm, caught my expression.

"She said she needed some air." He explained, shrugging helplessly. "I think she went down to the lake."

I nodded thankfully at him before leaving.

It was a short walk to the lake. A small blonde figure was huddled by the shore, hugging her knees to her chest. I hesitantly approached her.

"Annabeth?" I called gently.

The daughter of Athena looked up at me suddenly. She swiped her hands under her eyes quickly, brushing away tears.

"H-hey Reyna..." She tried for a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"May I join you?" I asked. Annabeth bit her lip indecisively. After a moment, she nodded.

I sat down beside her, my bare feet resting right by the water's edge. We were silent for a minute, listening to the sounds of the lake and the nearby forest. Somewhere in the distance, a monster howled, and Annabeth flinched.

"It's okay, you know." I said quietly.

Annabeth studied me, her gray eyes hard.

"What do you mean?" She asked me, her words clipped.

I was inwardly surprised at her sudden defensive attitude, but I didn't indicate it.

"It's okay to be scared." I elaborated. Annabeth's gaze softened, her eyes widening slightly and filling with confusion and doubt.

"You mean you're not going to tell me that everything's fine, and that there's nothing to worry about?" She demanded, slightly suspicious. "You're not going to tell me that my fears aren't real, that I'm safe now?"

I shook my head.

"I do not believe in telling lies." I told her, folding my arms on top of my knees. "Your fears aren't unfounded; you have every right to be scared. Everything's _not_ fine; that is just the life of a demigod. There is always something to worry about." I ran my thumb down the length of my sword handle absentmindedly. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

Annabeth swallowed.

"Thanks." She said, her voice small. "I just... I hate it when people tell me 'It's okay, you're fine now', because I'm not! I know they're trying to help, trying to comfort me, but it makes me feel like I'm overreacting, like I don't have a reason to be upset. Like they're not taking my fears seriously." Annabeth admitted.

I didn't respond for a moment. My mind worked furiously to sort out my jumbled thoughts.

"Optimism is one thing, but giving out false hope and reassurances is the incorrect way to deal with problems." I said, gazing out over the lake's smooth surface. "I wish I had words of encouragement for you, but I can not promise you that everything will be okay." I turned to look at Annabeth.

"But I can say this. I commend you and your friends for doing the right thing, even in the face of adversity. And I just wish that this entire misunderstanding had been sorted out before..." I trailed off, frustrated.

Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright. I don't blame you for what happened. From your point of view, we were guilty. At least at the time." She sighed quietly.

I gently brushed her hand away.

"How can you be so forgiving?" I asked her, knitting my brows together. "It was my fault as much as Octavian's that the legion declared war on your people."

Annabeth shook her head.

"Reyna, I know what was going on. He was trying to take over for Jason, for you. You knew how bad of a Praetor he would be; you were just trying to keep your home together."

I glanced away.

"Perhaps... if I had only realized sooner... that he was..." My voice cracked. Annabeth gazed at me sympathetically.

"Look, I know how hard it is to lose someone close, especially when their actions were questionable. This isn't the first time I've seen someone let their bad judgement get the better of them." She said softly.

I bit my lip.

"They called him a traitor to Rome." I murmured quietly.

"I know he wasn't." Annabeth reassured me. "He was just overly ambitious and misguided. And a little bit of a jerk, from what I've seen." She said apologetically.

I smiled bitterly.

"There were happier times..." I agreed. "He was not always so abrasive. After Jason first disappeared... he helped keep the legion from panicking. He was there for me, you know?" I sighed. "But eventually, when he realized Jason would not be coming back, he saw an opportunity to seize power for himself. It blinded him."

Annabeth nodded thoughtfully, her eyes clouded with pain.

"I understand."

We fell into silence again.

* * *

As I headed back towards the Big House, a wave of exhaustion ran through me. I was tired physically, mentally, and emotionally. But nevertheless, I did feel better, if only slightly. I made my way up the steps to the guest bedroom, trying not to drag my feet on the wooden floor. The door opened with a small creak.

Sighing, I tossed my sword onto the nightstand and fell into bed.

I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

* * *

**Percy's POV**

I stared up at the bunk above me.

It was late into the night. Even though my talk with Reyna had helped, I was not eager to fall asleep again. Whenever my eyelids began to droop, I jerked myself awake.

I knew what was waiting for me behind closed eyes.

_Don't sleep, don't sleep. Sleep and you're dead._

Finally, I pushed myself up, running a hand through my hair. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stumbled up and hastily dressed myself, pocketing Riptide and grabbing a light jacket.

I emerged from the Poseidon cabin, glancing around. No one else seemed to be out, and most of the cabins were dark. A few were lit, and I could see the silhouettes of campers going back to sleep. A sudden wave of guilt rushed over me. They had all been through alot, and they deserved a good night's rest.

Hands in my pockets, I trudged towards the lake. Everything always seemed cleared when I was by the water.

Suddenly I froze. Annabeth was sitting by the water. Annabeth.

_She hates you._

Why was she here?

Before I could sneak away, however, Annabeth turned towards me. My eyes immediately flew to her cheek, where a faint bruise was visible. Shame and anger swelled inside me, but I pushed it down.

"Hey Annabeth..." My voice was forced. "What are you doing here...?"

She smiled sadly at me.

"I knew you'd come to the lake, Percy." Annabeth murmured. "So predictable..."

I wouldn't meet her eyes. Instead, I cleared my throat, absentmindedly digging my shoe into the dirt.

"Well, um, I'll just leave then..." I began, taking a small step backwards.

"No, wait!" Annabeth cried suddenly. She took a deep breath, turning her hurt gray eyes on me. "What did I do wrong?"

I stared at her, my mouth moving soundlessly as I struggled to form words.

"Wha...?" I said intelligently.

"Why are you mad at me?" Annabeth demanded.

"I'm not- I'm not- I'm not- I'm not mad at you!" I stammered. "I-I thought you were mad at me!"

Annabeth frowned.

"Percy, why would I be upset with you?" She asked.

"I..." I bit my lip. "I hurt you, Annabeth." I told her, squeezing my eyes shut. "I couldn't control myself and I hurt you."

Annabeth's eyes widened.

"Percy..." She breathed. "I'm not mad at you, and _especially_ not for that. You didn't know it was me. You didn't know what you were doing. I've taken a knife in the shoulder for you, Seaweed Brain. A little bruise is nothing!" Annabeth exclaimed.

I looked at her, silent. I wasn't sure how to react to this. She should hate me.

_She hates you?_

I took a shaky breath, sitting down beside her.

"I thought you'd be mad at me." Annabeth whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Now it was my turn to gawk.

"Why would I possibly be mad at _you?_" I asked, genuinely confused.

"I wasn't there for you, Percy." She said angrily. "I didn't know what to say! I mean, we've lost people before, but gods, Nico... he was like your brother. I just didn't know how to help you..." She trailed off.

I gently took her shoulders, my eyes searching hers.

"Annabeth, you've been through as much as I have." I told her seriously. "I would much rather you worry about yourself before me. How does that saying go? You've got to love yourself before you can ever love me. I think it's from a song." I shrugged.

Annabeth smiled.

"Lifehouse." She replied quietly, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I held her close.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth." I whispered. "For everything that's happened."

"I know." She responded, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "Me too."

That night, we fell asleep by the lake, warm in each other's arms. Even though the ground was hard, the air was chilled, and the moon was bright, it was the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Sorry it's late, guys. But I made up for it, because it's a bit longer than usual. As always, thanks for the reviews! This chapter does have Jason in it. I hope I did alright, I've never written for him before. I hope you can bear with me for these next few chapters; I hadn't really planned on getting this far, but there will be a quest! It might take a while to figure out, because I don't want this story turning into another 'quest to go kill Gaea' fic. So... we shall see!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series, the HoO series, or their characters.**

**And now, without further ado, please read on and enjoy Chapter Seventeen! :) - Aqua.**

* * *

**Jason's POV**

With the month I'd been having, all I wanted was a good night's sleep, but I knew that was just wishful thinking.

My eyes had barely closed before I found myself in a dream. Demigod dreams are basically the worst things _ever_. It usually means that there is an evil presence threatening the existence of life as we know it that the Gods want you to go kill, and it often requires a painfully strenuous and potentially fatal quest. But hey, I didn't make up the rules that go with being a half-blood. I just learned how to roll with the punches.

So when I saw myself standing in an enormous underground cavern lit by torches and swarming with monsters, I was only mildly disconcerted. There were storm spirits, Scythian Dracnae, Earthborn, bull-horned centaurs, Cyclopes, and many more that I didn't even recognize. There were odd seal/dog/human hybrids waddling about on awkward flipper feet, and some demonic looking cheerleaders with flaming hair, red eyes, and mismatched legs, with one being a donkey leg and the other made of bronze.

Though there were plenty of other freaky looking monsters that I could have focused on, my gaze fell on a solitary figure laying on a marble slab near the end of the subterranean chamber.

She was resting on her back, with her hands folded over her chest and her eyes closed. Immediately I knew it was Gaea. The Earth Goddess was wearing green earthen robes that looked like they were actually made of grass, her hair as black as soil. I noticed that the ground surrounding Gaea was shifting in sync with the steady rising and falling of her stomach as she breathed. There was an aura of power around her that was unmistakable, even in a dream. We had only seen her before as a figure made of dirt and earth, but she just looked so... alive.

A shiver ran down my spine. I was almost certain I was looking at Gaea's actual physical form.

The Earth Goddess was sleeping peacefully, a contented smile upon her face. She looked like she could have been straight out of Sleeping Beauty. It was hard to believe that this unimposing woman was one of the most powerful ancient beings alive, and that she had the power to end civilization.

I crept closer, moving quietly even though I wasn't really there, and they couldn't really hear me.

Standing by Gaea's stone bed was a figure I really was not happy to see.

Lycaon, the king of wolves.

The werewolf seemed anxious. He was pacing beside the sleeping Goddess in his human form, occasionally running a pale hand through his greasy hair. When I got close enough, I could hear him mumbling to Gaea.

"My Queen, can we not advance our attack any earlier?" He asked. "Time is of the essence!"

Gaea's face remained unchanged as her lips moved slightly. I heard a tranquil voice inside my head.

_'I have already explained. Porphyrion has not yet recovered from the battle at the Wolf House.' _She murmured sleepily, her voice radiating with a quiet sort of power.

Lycaon's upper lip curled into a snarl.

"The son of Jupiter shall pay." He growled, his red eyes flashing with hate. "We would have already won if not for him."

_'Fear not.'_ Gaea spoke. _'Once I have restored Porphyrion to his full strength, we will destroy the Olympians. But for now, he and I sleep under the earth, and bide our time. It would be wise for you to do so as well.' _There was a definite warning hidden in her voice. Gaea was making sure her control over the wolf king was secure.

Lycaon stopped his pacing, glancing at the sleeping Goddess.

"Of course I will obey your wishes, Mistress." He responded, dipping his head. "I simply wish Porphyrion was able to fight again. We would take this pathetic city easily, and crush it underfoot like an insect." Lycaon bared his fangs.

A shadow of a scowl crossed Gaea's sleeping face.

_'I hope you are not doubting my abilities, servant. I am fully capable of healing Porphyrion, and it shall all take place in due time.'_

Lycaon's face paled.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed quickly. "I would never doubt you, my Queen."

_'Besides, it would be much easier to focus if those pesky mortal were not trampling like a herd of centaurs above us.'_ The Goddess grumbled.

Lycaon glanced up at the cave's high ceiling, his eyes narrowed.

"They will not be a problem for long." The wolf king promised darkly. "Tourists are not my pack's preferred prey, but they will eagerly hunt for you, Mistress."

At this point, my heart was racing. My suspicions were true. Porphyrion was going to return, and they were already in Greece, waiting to strike! And it sounded like they were in an extremely public place. If the Giant's army swarmed the city, I hated to think about what would happen to the mortals.

_'Good.'_ Gaea replied._ 'We must time it right. The demigods will come, and when they do, their blood shall spill on the ancient stones, and I will rise with my children and reclaim the Earth.' _

Lycaon shifted his weight anxiously.

"I trust in your plan, my liege, but... how do you know they will return?" He inquired hesitantly. "They know that you require the blood of two to return to full power. What if they don't come?"

_'They are far too fond of mortals to let them perish.'_ Gaea sneered.

"Well, yes, but..." Lycaon began.

_'Silence.' _The Goddess ordered._ 'Trust in me, servant, and when the Gods are overthrown your pack will have free rule of the Earth. Besides,' _Gaea suddenly turned to face me, her eyes snapping open and locking with mine.

_'I am certain he will deliver the message.' _

I woke up with a shout of alarm, falling off my cot onto the cold floor of Cabin One.

* * *

Breakfast was quite an ordeal.

I had never felt at home in Cabin One, but I had figured the Big House would be occupied. So after the campfire last night I'd dragged myself to the temple and collapsed onto the cot. But after that nightmare woke me, I hadn't gotten back to sleep. So basically, I was running on an empty tank.

The dining pavillion was packed, and pretty noisy. Romans and Greeks were sharing tables, and although that normally would have warmed my heart, I noticed they were sitting at opposite ends, regarding each other warily. But even though the pavillion was practically overflowing with demigods, there was one table that was empty, holding only two occupants.

Percy and Annabeth.

The pair seemed to be the chief topic of discussion among the demigods. Between the not-so-quiet-whispers and conspicuous glances towards them, I'm pretty sure they knew it. They were talking quietly, looking uncomfortable at being the focus of such a large number of people after being alone in Tartarus for so long.

Just seeing them made my heart ache. They had been cleaned up since I'd first seen them at the Doors, but they were covered in an assortment of extremely visible scars. I caught many people staring at the white marks. Besides the fact, they looked terrible. I mean sleeping-outside-on-the-ground terrible. Both demigods had large dark circles under their eyes, dusty clothes, and messy hair. Percy was picking at a stack of pancakes, his focus on Annabeth as she spoke to him in a low tone.

I also found myself sorely lacking in appetite, my untouched plate of eggs and bacon growing colder by the minute.

I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Reyna. She studied me for a moment before her gaze shifted to Percy and Annabeth.

"You're worried about them." She noted, her voice lacking any emotion. Sighing, I nodded.

"They didn't deserve this." I murmured quietly, watching the couple. I could feel unease in the room. I had heard the screaming last night. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who got nightmares.

Reyna's eyes were cloudy, a contrast to her usual sharpness.

"Demigods rarely deserve the destinies thrust upon them by the Fates." Reyna said, her tone slightly bitter. "From the moment we are born, we are tools for the Gods. They do not see us as children, merely weapons of theirs to use. We suffer for them." She muttered, her eyes darkening.

I was shocked at Reyna's words. Sure, I could understand where she was coming from, but the Gods needed us, not only for their sake, but for ours _and_ the world's. Besides the fact, talking badly about the Gods was never a good idea, especially so openly. I half expected Reyna to spontaneously combust. But no lightning came to strike her down. No God, Greek or Roman, appeared to smite her. The weather was as perfect as it usually was at Camp Halfblood, without out a single rumble of thunder.

"Why are you here?" I asked shortly, changing the subject abruptly. Reyna regarded me, her eyes cold and steely again.

"When breakfast is over, the senior counselors are gathering for a meeting in the Big House to discuss our best course of action. Just thought you should know." She said stiffly.

"Reyna..." I began, but my apology died on my tongue as Reyna turned on her heel and left the dining pavillion. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. I was contemplating following her when a voice caught me unexpectedly.

"Jason?"

It was Piper. The sight of my girlfriend instantly lightened my mood. I stood and gently pulled her into a hug, lightly kissing her on the forehead.

"Hey, Pipes." I smiled. "How're you holding up? You didn't get hurt yesterday, did you?" I asked, studying her expression. She shook her head, sitting down at the table beside me.

"No, I'm fine." Piper assured me. "I seem to be the only person who got out unscathed." She sighed, glancing away.

I frowned.

"Piper, you know you did all you could, right?" I inquired softly.

The daughter of Aphrodite shrugged helplessly.

"Jason, I'm practically useless in battle!" Piper said, her shoulders slumped. "Everyone else can do these amazing things, and all I can do is charmspeak. I'm not even that good with my dagger!" She bit her lip.

I put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"That's not true." I told her seriously. "You're just as talented as the rest of us. We all help in different ways, Pipes. Remember on our quest at Quebec, how those two Boreads almost crushed us at the gate? You convinced them to let us in with charmspeak. And that mall in Chicago, where we met Medea? Leo and I were ready to kill each other, but you saved us."

Some of Piper's distress ebbed away, but sorrow took its place, and too late I realized my poor choice of words.

"I miss him." She murmured quietly. My throat grew uncomfortably tight.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." I trailed off, finding the words meaningless. "I miss him too." I sighed.

"Do you know how Hazel's coping?" Piper asked, looking up at me inquisitively. I shook my head.

"I actually haven't spoken to her since..." I frowned. "Since the Doors, I think." This new revelation only made me feel worse. What kind of a friend was I? Hazel was the closest to Leo, and she lost both him _and_ her half-brother Nico. I scanned the tables, hoping to see her face.

Finally I spotted her at the other end of the dining pavillion, sitting next to Frank. The two Romans looked depressed. I wanted to go and speak to them, but they appeared to already be deep in discussion. I knew they needed a little time to help each other recover. Frank could probably comfort her a lot better than I could.

Piper caught my expression and sighed.

"Jason, nobody's going to blame you for anything." She told me. "Leo was your friend too. You can't be expected to push aside your feelings and help everyone else."

I swallowed, giving her a small smile.

"Maybe... but that doesn't make it easier."


End file.
